Andria Bartishvili: The Georgian Prodigy Drawing Attention from Arsenal and Liverpool

Liverpool and Arsenal are circling one of Georgia’s most intriguing young talents – and the clock is already ticking on a rare contract wrinkle that could turn this into a bargain hunt.

A Georgian prodigy on the rise

Andria Bartishvili is only 17, but his name has started to travel far beyond the Georgian topflight. The attacking midfielder broke into senior football this season, making double‑digit appearances and marking the moment with his first professional goal in a 1-0 win over Gagra.

At home, they speak about him differently. Not just as a promising kid, but as one of the brightest prospects the country has produced in recent years.

Bartishvili is currently on loan at FC Iberia 1999 from parent club Kolkheti 1913. He operates primarily as a No 10, though he’s just as comfortable drifting in off the left. At 170cm, he isn’t imposing, but he doesn’t need to be. His game is built on tight close control, sharp changes of direction and the confidence to take on defenders one‑v‑one. Those who have watched him closely have already reached for a familiar reference point: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

That is the level of expectation around him in Georgia.

A contract quirk that opens the door

What turns this into a serious opportunity for Europe’s recruiters is not just the talent, but the timing.

Bartishvili’s loan at Iberia 1999 runs until the end of 2026. At that point, he is due to return to Kolkheti Poti – but his contract with the parent club also expires at the same time. That alignment means he could be prised away on a free transfer or for a relatively small compensation fee.

Arsenal have already moved to position themselves. Reports indicate the London club are preparing a pre-contract offer designed to exploit that window, effectively a Bosman-style move to tie him down before the market opens up fully.

The plan was simple: move early, move quietly, and get him locked in.

Liverpool join the race

That plan now has company.

Reliable Georgian outlet “Geo Team” reported on X that three clubs are actively working on a deal for Bartishvili: Arsenal FC, Liverpool FC and Paris FC. The update was clear on one key point – despite the noise, Bartishvili has not yet reached an agreement with Arsenal.

The offers on the table from the English giants are described as “identical”, which places the emphasis on project, pathway and playing time rather than pure finance. Paris FC, aware they cannot compete with the global pull of Liverpool or Arsenal, are attempting to tilt the conversation by putting guaranteed first-team minutes on the table from the outset.

For a 17-year-old, that is no small promise.

Liverpool’s interest underlines how seriously the wider market is taking Bartishvili’s emergence. The club have leaned heavily into targeted recruitment of young, technically gifted attackers in recent years, and a low-cost move for a creative midfielder with this profile fits neatly into that strategy.

Decision on hold – for now

Bartishvili and his representatives are in no rush to commit. According to Geo Team, they will make a final decision only after upcoming European qualification matches, which he is set to play with FC Iberia 1999.

Those games now carry extra weight. Every touch, every turn, every one‑v‑one he wins will be watched with a different kind of scrutiny, filtered through the lens of Liverpool, Arsenal and Paris FC scouts trying to decide whether to push harder or walk away.

Arsenal are understood to be willing to pay around £2m for the teenager. That figure, modest by Premier League standards, is likely to act as a reference point for any deal, whether it arrives via a pre-contract agreement or a negotiated fee ahead of time.

For Bartishvili, the choice is stark but enviable: the tradition and visibility of Arsenal, the intensity and development track at Liverpool, or the faster route to senior football at Paris FC.

For a 17-year-old from Georgia, which path shapes the rest of his career?