Arsenal's Pursuit of Andria Bartishvili Intensifies
Arsenal have moved from admiration to action in their pursuit of Andria Bartishvili, tabling a pre-contract offer for the highly rated Georgian midfielder as they try to steal a march on their rivals.
Arsenal make their move
Sami Mokbel reports for the BBC that the north London club have formally put an offer on the table, with a view to signing Bartishvili towards the end of 2026, when his current deal runs out.
It is not a done deal. Far from it.
The 17-year-old is understood to have other options and is yet to decide his next step, with Liverpool and Juventus both credited with an interest. The race is open, and Bartishvili knows it.
Inside Arsenal, though, there is a clear driving force. Maurizio Micheli is leading the push, spearheading the club’s attempt to land one of Georgia’s most intriguing young talents. What began as scouting has now hardened into a concrete proposal.
Scouted up close
Mokbel had previously revealed that Micheli travelled to watch Bartishvili in person, turning up to see him play for loan side Iberia 1999 in a Champions League qualifier against Flora.
Bartishvili’s parent club is FC Kolkheti, with both Kolkheti and Iberia 1999 operating within the Georgian football league structure. For now, his development remains rooted in home soil.
Because Georgia runs its football calendar within a single year, his loan at Iberia 1999 does not end until December. On top of that, there is a significant age-related hurdle: Bartishvili cannot formally sign for Arsenal until March 2027, when he turns 18. Any agreement now is about positioning, planning and patience.
Rising quickly in Georgia
On the pitch, Bartishvili’s impact has gathered pace in recent months. The Georgia u21 international has produced two goals and three assists in 24 games for Iberia, with all five of those goal contributions arriving after he broke into the starting XI at the beginning of May.
Once trusted as a regular, he started to influence games. That timing will not have gone unnoticed by the clubs circling.
His international record at youth level underlines the same upward curve. Bartishvili has already represented Georgia at u16, u17, u19 and u21 level. In June, he scored twice in two matches for the u19s, another marker of a player accelerating through the age groups.
Arsenal have seen enough to make their pitch early. Now the question is simple: when the time comes to choose, does Bartishvili see his future in north London, or will one of Europe’s other giants win the gamble on Georgia’s next big hope?
