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Alongside Bartishvili: Arsenal have agreed to sign another winger in 2027

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Arsenal CEO Richard Garlick, Sporting Director Andrea Berta and Director of Football Operations James King

Published Sep 3, 2026, 6:10 AM GMT+1

Matt specialises in football analysis, transfer insight and original feature writing across the Premier League, EFL and Scottish football.

A sports writer for 15 years, Matt graduated with a BA in Sports Journalism in 2018 and has developed particular expertise in Arsenal and the wider Premier League while also reporting on clubs including Tottenham Hotspur, Leeds United, Celtic, Rangers and teams across the EFL. He joined Football FanCast as part of its writing team in 2019 before progressing to Assistant Editor and then becoming a Senior Editor in 2021.

His work combines authoritative reporting with data-led analysis, tactical insight and informed transfer assessment. Matt regularly examines how players fit into different systems, what their underlying numbers reveal about their performances and whether transfer targets represent realistic solutions for clubs. His analysis aims to go beyond the headline, explaining not just what has happened but what it means for a team, manager or player.

Matt's journalism has also appeared through the Press Association, with his work featured by Sky Sports and the Daily Mail. He previously served as Arsenal and Premier League Editor at VAVEL and gained first-hand club-media experience with Chesterfield FC. Over his career, he has interviewed figures including Arsène Wenger, Ray Parlour, Alan Smith, Lucy Bronze and Steph Houghton. Matt's voice has been heard across Arsenal Fan TV and Love Sport Radio.

Through his reporting, analysis and features, Matt brings readers credible football insight grounded in research, statistics, tactical understanding and years of experience covering the professional game.

Today, Matt leads Football FanCast's features team as Senior Editor, overseeing the publication's opinion coverage while helping shape its overall editorial standards and content strategy.

Thought Arsenal sat idly by and watched the transfer close without doing anything? Well, despite not acquiring any first-team ready players, Andrea Berta and his recruitment team were actually hard at work.

The frustration will be that the Gunners have not added adequately to their Premier League-winning squad but they have been future proofing things with a number of signings at academy level.

In the final days of the transfer window, Arsenal tied up deals for Igor Tyjon from Blackburn and James Scanlon and Habeeb Ogunneye from Manchester United.

They joined Elijah Upson from Spurs in making the most to bolster the U21 ranks. Another signing is on the way too in the form of Georgian wonderkid Andria Bartishvili.

Who is Arsenal new boy Andria Bartishvili?

There was not much to shout about on transfer deadline day for Arsenal but they did reach an agreement with Kolkheti 1913 to sign 17-year-old Bartishvili.

Legally, the teenager is unable to officially join the club until he is 18 so supporters will have to wait until next summer to finally see him in action.

It's a long wait, particularly as the attacker looks like one of the most exciting young attackers in Europe right now.

Currently on loan at Iberia in the Georgian first division, he has played 16 times during the 2026 season, scoring twice and assisting twice. He's not started many games so those four goal involvements have come every 223 minutes which certainly isn't bad going for such a young player.

What will excite fans the most are comparisons to one of his fellow countrymen. As the BBC's Sami Mokbel has outlined, he is being celebrated as "the next Khvicha Kvaratskhelia" and that's not just because they hail from the same country.

Paris St Germain's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia looks on

Indeed, with his rolled down socks and immense low centre of gravity, Bartishvili plays with a freedom and energy that is so refreshing in the modern game.

In a footballing world where rigid tactics have taken priority over the chance for players to express themselves, Bartishvili does not let that get in the way.

Like Kvaratskhelia, he's an excellent dribbler, phenomenally composed in tight spaces, and loves playing in pockets of space on the left-hand side.

Bartishvili has actually played played most of his football this season, 11 games, as an attacking midfielder but he's also played twice as a centre-forward and twice on the left wing. His versatility will no doubt stand him in good stead once he arrives at Arsenal.

For now, however, they will have to watch his development from afar. The same can be said for two other young players on their way to the Emirates.

Arsenal are signing another two forwards alongside Bartishvili

Berta has rightfully been criticised for his efforts in bolstering the first-team ranks this summer but he does have to be commended for the work he's performed at finding young talents.

As it happens, Bartishvili is not the only 'wonderkid' on his way to N5 with deals agreed for Ecuadorian twins Holger and Edwin Quintero last autumn.

Much has been made of the duo who, like Bartishvili, will be officially moving to north London once they turn 18 next year. They come from a fine club, Independiente del Valle, in their homeland.

If you've heard of this side before, it's because they have one of the best youth academies in the world. Moises Caicedo was an IDV boy, as was Arsenal's Piero Hincapie.

Independiente also brought through PSG centre-back William Pacho and another defender in the form of Chelsea-bound Deinner Ordonez. Sunderland also signed a striker, 18-year-old Juan Riquelme Angulo, from them on transfer deadline day.

So, there are great hopes for the two Arsenal-bound youngsters. In Holger Quintero, they will be signing an attacking midfielder. In his brother, Edwin, they will be signing a winger.

He is arguably the best of the twins. At the age of 17, he has already appeared for the IDV first-team and even scored on his league debut despite only making a six minute cameo.

What makes him so special and so exciting? Well, as outlined by scout Jacek Kulig at the beginning of 2025, he was one of very few young players in the world to be regarded as a player with 10/10 potential. Who else was on that list? Max Dowman was, as was Bayern Munich sensation Lennart Karl. Kulig knows a highly talented prospect when he sees one.

Edwin Quintero is housed in that bracket because of his attributes. Like Bartishvili, this is a young kid who is immense in tight spaces. His dribbling is first-class.

As Como scout Ben Mattinson put it, the teen is "so skilful and constantly uses flair to fool defenders. He has the ability to run games and create something out of nothing."

That's precisely the type of winger Arsenal were craving in the transfer market this summer but were not able to get their hands on.

Caution must be exercised. There is no guarantee he will become an elite talent at senior level but he has some of the finest potential you will see in any young footballer across the planet.

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