Andria Bartishvili: The 17-Year-Old Talent in Demand

Liverpool and Arsenal are circling one of Georgia’s brightest young talents – and the race is already getting political before a fee is even agreed.

A 17-year-old at the centre of a tug of war

Andria Bartishvili is only 17, but his name is starting to travel well beyond the Georgian top flight.

The attacking midfielder broke into senior football this season, making double‑digit appearances and scoring his first professional goal in a 1-0 win over Gagra. That strike did more than win three points. It announced him.

On loan at FC Iberia 1999 from parent club Kolkheti 1913, Bartishvili has quickly built a reputation at home as the next big thing out of Georgia. The comparisons with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia have already started – not because of lazy shorthand, but because of the way he plays.

He’s 170cm, slight but wiry, operating either as a classic No 10 or drifting in off the left. He lives in tight spaces. Close control, sharp changes of direction, the confidence to take on defenders one‑v‑one – that’s his calling card. In a league that can be unforgiving for youngsters, he’s not just surviving. He’s imposing himself.

A contract puzzle big clubs think they can solve

What makes Bartishvili especially attractive is not only his talent, but the unusual contractual situation around him.

His loan at Iberia 1999 runs until the end of 2026. At that point, he is due to return to Kolkheti Poti.

But his deal with Kolkheti 1913 also expires in 2026.

That alignment changes everything. It means he could walk away on a free transfer or for a minimal compensation fee, a Bosman-style opening that Europe’s recruitment departments rarely ignore.

Arsenal have already been reported as preparing a pre-contract proposal designed precisely to exploit that window, trying to lock him in before the market fully wakes up. A fee of around £2m has been mentioned as a likely reference point – not a fortune in Premier League terms, but a serious number for a teenager coming out of Georgia.

Liverpool join the chase

Now the race has widened.

Reliable Georgian outlet “Geo Team” on X reports that Liverpool, Arsenal and Paris FC are all actively working on a deal for Bartishvili. According to their information, the player has not reached an agreement with Arsenal, and three clubs remain in the running.

The offers on the table from the English giants are described as “identical”. That puts the emphasis not on money, but on pathway, project and trust.

This is where Paris FC are trying to change the script. The French club, operating in a very different financial lane to Liverpool and Arsenal, are said to be pushing guaranteed first-team minutes from the start as their main selling point. For a 17-year-old who already plays regular senior football, that is not a trivial promise.

Decision parked – for now

Bartishvili and his representatives are not rushing. As things stand, they plan to make a final decision only after upcoming European qualification matches, which he is set to play with FC Iberia 1999.

That pause suits him. Every good performance at that level strengthens his hand. Every clip that circulates makes the battle for his signature a little fiercer.

For Liverpool and Arsenal, this is the modern recruitment game in microcosm: spot the talent early, navigate a complex contract landscape, and convince a teenager with options that your project is the one worth betting his career on.

For Bartishvili, the next few months could define where – and how quickly – he steps onto the European stage.