Arsenal have struck a deal for Georgian wonderkid Andria Bartishvili (Picture: Getty) Georgian youngster Andria Bartishvili has been pictured making the trip to London to complete a transfer move to Arsenal. Bartishvili is currently on loan with Erovnuli Liga outfit Iberia 1999 from Kolkheti 1913 and is considered one of the brightest talents in Georgian football. Though just 17 years of age, the attacking midfielder has already been capped twice by Georgia’s Under-21 side and top teams from across Europe have been closely monitoring his progress. But Arsenal intensified their interest and won the race for Bartishvili’s signature this summer, agreeing a deal that will see the teenager join the club in 2027. Exclusive Premier League previews Get ahead of the start of the season with our weekly football newsletter. Sign up now for free. According to The Athletic, Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta and his assistant Maurizio Micheli were instrumental in coaxing Bartishvili to north London. Renowned for his talent-spotting skills, Micheli is said to have spotted Georgian superstar Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in his previous role as the chief scout at Napoli. Bartishvili, who turns 18 next March, took to Instagram to pass on his gratitude for the kind messages he had received ahead of his move to Arsenal. https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ-wQMzjXKL/?hl=en&img_index=1 ‘A very big thank you to everyone for the congratulations’ – Bartishvili confirmed his move to Arsenal on Instagram ‘A very big thank you to everyone for the congratulations,’ he wrote. Twenty-four hours after confirming his impending switch, Bartishvili was snapped boarding a flight to the UK to undergo a medical with the Gunners. It’s understood Bartishvili will put pen to paper on a five-year contract with the Premier League champions. 📸 EXCL: BARTISHVILI on his way to ARSENAL FC 🔴 — LONDON is waiting for ANDRIA 📞🇬🇧 Andria Bartishvili is currently on his way to London to undergo his medical with AFC. 🩺✈️And then… a five-year contract with the English champions for 17 y.o Georgian Gem 💎✨ pic.twitter.com/WhIafuE7Ak— Geo Team (@Geo__team) September 2, 2026 Liverpool and Juventus were among the clubs credited with an interest in Bartishvili before Arsenal muscled themselves into pole position for the sought-after teen. In June, Georgia head coach Willy Sagnol – the former France and Bayern Munich defender – picked Bartishvili out as a special talent. But Sagnol was keen to stress that talent alone would not be enough to take Bartishvili to the elite levels of the game. {"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Arteta praises Arsenal's maturity in 1-0 win over Aston Villa","contentUrl":"https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2026\/09\/01\/1030376710448723935\/480x270_MP4_1030376710448723935.mp4","description":"Arteta also stressed the importance of squad depth after Konsa was substituted on for his debut for a Mosquera struggling with an injury.","duration":"T4M26S","height":270,"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i.dailymail.com\/1s\/2026\/09\/01\/07\/110968591-0-image-a-1_1788244180392.jpg","uploadDate":"2026-09-01T07:29:49+0100","width":480} To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page window.addEventListener('metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded', function(data) { if (typeof(data.detail) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel.el_) === 'undefined') { return; } var player = data.detail.carousel.el_; var container = player.closest('.metro-video-player'); var placeholder = container.querySelector('.metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder'); if (placeholder) { container.removeChild(placeholder); container.classList.add('metro-video-player--related-videos-loaded'); } }); ‘I watched the youth team play, Bartishvili is a very talented player,’ Sagnol explained. ‘However, for a talented player to take a step forw
Liverpool made a late attempt to strengthen their defence by signing Chelsea right-back Malo Gusto on deadline day, but the move collapsed because the two clubs could not agree on the structure of the deal. The Reds were looking for extra cover at right-back, particularly with Conor Bradley dealing with injury problems and Jeremie Frimpong […] The post Liverpool failed in completing blockbuster move for versatile Chelsea ace on deadline day appeared first on CaughtOffside.
Former Man Utd and England midfielder Paul Scholes (Picture: YouTube) Paul Scholes believes Chelsea have ‘ruined’ their chances of challenging for the Premier League title by selling Enzo Fernandez. Manchester City completed a stunning £125m deal for Fernandez on transfer deadline day, making the Argentine the joint-most expensive player in Premier League history. Fernandez has been one of the most influential players at Stamford Bridge since his £107m move from Benfica in 2023 but made it clear earlier in the summer that he wanted to leave. Man City missed Chelsea’s deadline to buy Fernandez for £120m last month but continued negotiations with the Blues before finally making a breakthrough just hours before the transfer deadline. Exclusive Premier League previews Get ahead of the start of the season with our weekly football newsletter. Sign up now for free. Fernandez was keen to secure a dream move to Real Madrid during the World Cup but also approved a switch to Man City, where he will play under ex-Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca. The 25-year-old was left out of Chelsea’s first two Premier League games of the season and could make his Man City debut in Saturday’s clash against Coventry City. Scholes, one of the best midfielders of his generation, says he ‘wasn’t a massive fan’ of Fernandez when he first arrived in England but now views him as a ‘brilliant player’ and a huge loss to Chelsea. Enzo Fernandez left Chelsea to join Man City (Picture: Getty) Xabi Alonso’s side have been widely tipped as dark horses for the Premier League title but Scholes cannot see Chelsea challenging defending champions Arsenal, who they face this weekend, without Fernandez. ‘I don’t think he was unhappy at Chelsea but he had his head turned by Manchester City,’ Manchester United legend and ex-England midfielder Scholes said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast. ‘But if Chelsea want to win the Premier League which, look, I don’t think they can anyway, but they can’t let Enzo Fernandez go. https://www.instagram.com/p/DcwxDJdDGvo/?img_index=1 ‘They had Malo Gusto in midfield the other day, that’s not going to be good enough. Reece James has started in midfield, that’s not going to be good enough. ‘I wasn’t a massive fan of Enzo when he first came but he’s grown on me and now he’s a brilliant player. He would be very good for Man City but Chelsea can’t let it happen, that is a direct rival. ‘City have already had Chelsea’s pants down with the manger, they obviously unsettled him and were talking to him about coming in the summer. Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso (Picture: Getty) ‘That ruined Chelsea’s season really because they were flying at the time, they were going really well. If Enzo Fernandez goes to Manchester City, that could potentially ruin Chelsea’s season again.’ After moving to the Etihad Stadium in an eye-watering £125m transfer, Fernandez said: ‘Manchester City are the most successful club in England in recent times. ‘Every player wants to be part of a club like this because everyone knows how well-run City are. ‘I could not be happier to be here, and I am ready for the challenge of helping City continue winning trophies. This is a club built for success. ‘If you look across the squad, City have quality in every area. I want to learn from my new teammates and become a better player. ‘I pride myself on continually improving my game. Anyone who’s worked with me will know how hard I train every single day and how much I put into matches. ‘I give absolutely everything and I can promise Manchester City that will continue now I’m here.’ For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source
Things with Folarin Balogun often get complicated. The USMNT star's on-again, off-again move from Monaco to Everton did not go through Tuesday night. And it created problems with deals involving Manchester United, Chelsea and Cruz Azul, far away in Mexico The post DEADLINE DAY: Folarin Balogun’s $55 million deal ends in shambles appeared first on Soccer America.
Tap a headline to view metadata and excerpt fields in Sportra, then use the article website button to continue on the original publisher page.
