Overview
- Arsenal officially announced on Friday that they have reached a pre-contract agreement with Andria Bartishvili that will be completed in July 2027 after he turns 18 and subject to required regulatory checks.
- Bartishvili will remain in Georgia for now while on loan at Iberia 1999 and stays contracted to Kolkheti 1913, meaning Arsenal will only register him with English authorities once he is eligible.
- The club beat reported interest from major European teams, including Liverpool and Juventus, and reporters said Bartishvili travelled to London for medicals and paperwork before the announcement.
- The 17-year-old is a versatile forward who has made senior appearances in the Erovnuli Liga, scored his first professional goal in May, and has already played for Georgia’s youth teams up to U21 level; media and scouts have compared his style to Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Kevin De Bruyne.
- The signing fits Arsenal’s recent strategy of securing teenagers early to feed the academy pathway, and it highlights a common practice under FIFA rules where clubs sign pre-contracts for minors and complete formal registration once players turn 18.