Arsenal transfer news: Gunners sign £3.9m 'next Kvaratskhelia' as official statement released

Arsenal person confirmed that they person reached an statement to motion Georgian wonderkid Andria Bartishvili from second-tier side Kolkheti 1913.

Back successful precocious August, Arsenal were said to person reached a £3.9m agreement for the 17-year-old, considered 1 of the astir promising prospects successful Georgian football.

Bartishvili made the determination up to first-tier shot successful January, signing for Iberia 1999 connected loan, and helium boasts 2 goals and 3 assists from 24 matches for the Tbilisi side.

The versatile attacker volition instrumentality to Kolkheti astatine the extremity of the calendar year, aft which helium volition walk different half-season successful his homeland - oregon elsewhere connected indebtedness - earlier moving to the Emirates.

In a connection connected Friday, Arsenal announced that Bartishvili would officially go a portion of the nine adjacent July, a fewer months aft his 18th birthday.

Arsenal corroborate Andria Bartishvili woody arsenic commencement day revealed

"We are delighted to denote we've reached a pre-contract statement to motion Georgian guardant Andria Bartishvili successful July 2027," a connection connected arsenal.com read.

"The 17-year-old, who volition beryllium 18 erstwhile helium moves to northbound London, operates arsenic a winger oregon attacking midfielder. Everyone astatine Arsenal looks guardant to Andria's accomplishment adjacent summertime and wishes him luck for the remainder of this play astatine Iberia 1999."

Bartishvili - who is understood to person completed his Arsenal aesculapian connected transportation deadline time - is expected to nexus up with the academy squad archetypal of all, portion perchance putting himself successful the framework for elder minutes successful 2027-28.

The diminutive attacker - who stands astatine conscionable 5ft 7in gangly - has acquisition playing arsenic a fig 10, mendacious nine, centre-forward, close winger and near winger, and helium is competent with some his near and close foot.

At planetary level, Bartishvili has already made 2 appearances for Georgia's Under-21s, having antecedently scored 7 goals successful 15 matches for the Under-17s.

Have Arsenal signed the adjacent Khvicha Kvaratskhelia?

Having travel done the Georgian younker ranks to gain a determination to 1 of Europe's large 5 leagues, Bartishvili has inevitably drawn comparisons with arguably the top subordinate his federation has ever produced; Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

A study from Georgian outfit Commersant - astatine a clip erstwhile Juventus were trying to motion the winger - highlighted Bartishvili's 'Akhali Kvara' moniker, fixed to him acknowledgment to nonstop similarities with the Paris Saint-Germain attacker.

Bartishvili's dribbling skills and positional consciousness were likened to Kvaratskhelia, portion Georgia Under-21 manager Ramaz Svanadze did not shy distant from making the aforesaid comparison.

"He is simply a subordinate who tin marque a existent quality connected the pitch," Svandze told football.london, arsenic quoted by Crystal Sport. "He has the benignant of idiosyncratic shot skills that are becoming progressively uncommon successful modern football; helium is simply a subordinate who wants to person the ball, permission opponents down and usage his method dribbling - conscionable similar Kvaratskhelia himself."

Arsenal person agelong been credited with an involvement successful Kvaratskhelia too, but the 25-year-old remains nether declaration astatine PSG until 2029.