Arsenal bid for Leicester's Monga and Georgian starlet Bartishvili in double teenage swoop

Arsenal are pursuing two teenage talents simultaneously, with bids lodged for Leicester City winger Jeremy Monga and Georgian attacking midfielder Andria Bartishvili as the newly crowned Premier League champions look to build for the future.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that Arsenal have submitted a formal bid to Leicester City for Monga, a 16-year-old winger, with the deal described as “moving quickly” and optimism growing that an agreement will be reached. Monga first attracted attention in 2025 when he became one of the youngest players to appear in the Premier League, making his debut aged just 15 years and 271 days as a substitute in a 3-0 defeat to Newcastle United. Leicester’s subsequent back-to-back relegations — the club now competes in League One — have left Arsenal well-placed to prise away one of their most promising young assets.

The second target is Bartishvili, a 17-year-old who came through the youth academy at Dinamo Tbilisi and is currently on the books of Georgian side Kolkheti 1913. The BBC’s Sami Mokbel reports that Arsenal are set to make a pre-contract offer for the midfielder, with talks described as ongoing. Local media in Georgia have drawn comparisons to Napoli and Chelsea star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia after Bartishvili scored twice against Kazakhstan’s under-17s in an international tournament in 2025. Arsenal are not alone in their pursuit, with other clubs also understood to be monitoring the teenager.

The double move signals Arsenal’s intent to sustain the momentum that delivered their first league title since the 2003-04 season. Securing young talent at an early stage has become a key part of the club’s recruitment strategy under their current structure, and both Monga and Bartishvili represent investments in the squad’s depth over the coming years rather than immediate first-team reinforcements.