According to Geo Team, Arsenal have beaten Liverpool to the signing of Georgian wonderkid Andria Bartishvili.
The Gunners have added a quality left winger in Christos Tzolis to the first-team squad this summer, and they are planning to recruit another marquee forward before the transfer window closes.
The club are likewise focused on pursuing emerging talents for the future. They recently confirmed the arrivals of Igor Tyjon and James Scanlon from Blackburn Rovers and Manchester United respectively.
Geo Team reveal that Bartishvili will be the next to join the Premier League holders. Arsenal have beaten Liverpool to sign the 17-year-old, who is likened to Paris Saint Germain winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
The attacking midfielder is set to fly to London for his medical on September 1. He will then put pen-to-paper on a five-year deal starting from next summer as he can’t be registered until he turns 18 (March).
The Gunners will pay around £3.8 million for the FC Kolkheti youngster.
Huge potential
Bartishvili has been on loan with Iberia 1999 from Kolkheti since the start of the year. He has played just 1,000 minutes for the Georgian outfit, but has impressed with 2 goals and 3 assists across all competitions.
The 17-year-old is primarily an attacking midfielder, but he has shown his versatility, playing as a left winger or upfront. The youngster has a slight left-sided bias and his attributes have seen him compared to Kvaratskhelia.
Looking at his league stats (February start date), Bartishvili has won an impressive 2 dribbles per game this campaign and has also worked hard off the ball, winning 6 duels and making almost 4 recoveries per game.
It looks like Arsenal have a potential gem on their hands. He has hugely impressed with Iberia since his loan switch last winter and only time will tell whether he can translate the potential to become an elite forward.
His current loan concludes at the end of the year. Bartishvili will most likely carry on playing with Kolkheti at the beginning of next season before formally joining the Gunners during the 2027 summer transfer window.
Arsenal could have a good look at him in pre-season before deciding whether to consider him for the first-team.
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