Highly-rated Georgian prospect signs five-year Arsenal contract
Arsenal have reportedly completed the signing of highly-rated Georgian teenager Andria Bartishvili after the midfielder put pen to paper on a five-year contract.
Geo Team reports that the 17-year-old signed his agreement with the Premier League champions on Friday, completing the formalities surrounding his move to north London.
Bartishvili and his agent, Giorgi Jugheli, were at Arsenal’s training ground when the contract was signed after travelling to England earlier this week.
The youngster had already undergone his medical in London ahead of finalising the agreement, leaving his signature as one of the remaining steps towards completing the deal.
However, Bartishvili will not immediately link up with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s first-team squad.
The midfielder will instead join the Gunners in the summer of 2027, by which point he will have turned 18.
That arrangement allows Bartishvili to continue gaining senior experience in Georgia before beginning the next stage of his development in England.
The teenager currently represents Iberia Tbilisi and has already featured in European competition despite being in the early stages of his senior career.
UEFA records show that Bartishvili featured for Iberia during their Europa League qualifying campaign this season, providing him with valuable experience against continental opposition.
He has also established himself at domestic level after making his senior breakthrough as a 16-year-old.
Bartishvili’s performances and technical ability have helped establish his reputation as one of the most promising players emerging from Georgian football.
Primarily an attacking midfielder who can also operate in wider areas, he has already drawn comparisons in his homeland with Georgia international Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Such comparisons inevitably carry considerable expectations, particularly given Kvaratskhelia’s emergence as one of Europe’s leading attacking players, but Bartishvili still has significant development ahead of him.
Arsenal’s decision to secure him at 17 nevertheless continues the club’s recent emphasis on recruiting talented youngsters before they become established at senior level.
The Gunners have invested heavily in their academy pathway while also looking internationally for prospects capable of eventually challenging for first-team opportunities.
Bartishvili will therefore arrive in north London as a long-term investment rather than an immediate addition to Arteta’s squad.
His development over the remainder of this season and the first half of 2027 will now be closely followed before his eventual move to England.
For Arsenal, the most important formalities have already been completed, with Bartishvili now contracted to the club ahead of beginning his Gunners career next summer.
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