IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Caean Couto
Arsenal have agreed a deal to sign Georgian teenager Andria Bartishvili from Kolkheti 1913, according to the Athletic, with the player pictured jetting to the UK to undergo a medical and complete his move to the Emirates.
Arsenal's transfer window ended with just one senior forward joining the first team in Christos Tzolis, even though Leandro Trossard departed for Besiktas, Gabriel Jesus joined Barcelona and Gabriel Martinelli is on the verge of completing a big-money move to Al-Hilal.
Those exits mean that the number of attacking options Mikel Arteta has to choose from has decreased, as the Spaniard targets retaining the Premier League title and going one better in the Champions League by winning the competition this season.
||
Arsenal's Attacking Options
Bukayo Saka
Kai Havertz
Christos Tzolis
Viktor Gyokeres
Noni Madueke
Max Dowman
The Gunners suffered their fair share of injury issues in attack last term, with Saka and Havertz in particular affected, and they can't afford to have the same issues in the next four months if they are to achieve their big ambitions.
The emergence of 16-year-old Max Dowman in the north London side's first team is proof that Arteta isn't afraid to use teenagers if he feels they are ready, and he will soon have another to choose from.
The Athletic confirmed on deadline day that Arsenal have agreed a deal to sign 17-year-old Georgian sensation Bartishvili, who is expected to officially link up with the club when he turns 18 in 2027.
The player has now been pictured at the airport, ready to fly to London to undergo a medical and sign a five-year contract this week, as per Fabrizio Romano on X.
The pursuit of the teenager was led by Andrea Berta's assistant Maurizio Micheli, with the former Napoli scout credited with discovering Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for the Serie A giants previously.
Bartishvili is another part of a fine summer of recruitment at academy level, which has seen Arsenal add some of the biggest young talents across Europe to their squad.
||
Arsenal Academy Recruits (Summer 2026)
Player
Igor Tyjon
Vincent Joseph
Axel Donczew
Elijah Upson
Mylo Bernard
Edwin Quintero
Holger Quintero
Victor Ozhianvuna
With Dowman, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly among the young players to make an impact on the first-team in recent seasons, the latest influx of additions will hope they can do the same in future years.
Arsenal May Have Just Landed Their Next Martinelli
gabriel martinelli
With Martinelli on his way out and expected to complete his move to the Saudi Pro League imminently, Arsenal may have just signed their next version of the Brazilian in Bartishvili.
The Gunners signed Martinelli all the way back in 2019 as a relatively inexperienced 18-year-old from Brazilian club Ituano, where he had made 34 appearances.
Bartishvili has made 44 senior appearances for Kolkheti 1913 and Iberia 1999 Tbilisi in his career, but there are already inevitable comparisons to Kvaratskhelia due to his Georgian roots and the promise he is showing.
Despite frustrating Arsenal fans at times, Martinelli has to go down as one of their most successful signings in the last decade, given he cost them £6m in 2019, and has now been sold for around 10x that fee.
When he joined the Gunners, the Brazilian made it clear that he modelled his game on one of the greatest ever footballers.
I model my game on Cristiano Ronaldo.
"He is a player who works hard, pushing himself to the next level. Always in the run for titles and individual trophies.
"This is a dream since I was a child and also my family's dream for me to be playing in Europe and playing for a big team like Arsenal. I am going to take this opportunity."
||
Martinelli Record for Arsenal
Apps
Goals
Assists
Martinelli certainly lived up to his price tag and more over the years for Arsenal, and now Arteta will hope that Tzolis can replace the South American in the short-term.
Longer term, Bartishvili has all of the attributes to make a big impression in the Arsenal first team, while his early-career versatility has shown that he can play on either wing and as a No.10, which could prove vital to his chances of making a breakthrough into Arteta's first team.
The 17-year-old has been described as a 'superstar in the making' by one X account, who claim he has a combination of the attributes of and Kvaratskhelia and Kenan Yildiz.
Arsenal will hope that Bartishvili can be just as successful as Martinelli was in a red shirt.
Mikel Arteta (Arsenal)