Arsenal aim to convince 16-year-old forward to join them instead of Manchester City

Arsenal and Manchester City are reportedly locked in a battle to sign Georgian prodigy Vakhtang Salia. The 16-year-old has been likened to Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, given their shared nationality and both coming through Dinamo Tbilisi's youth system.

Salia is considered one of Europe's most promising talents with several top-tier clubs keeping tabs on his development. As per HITC Sport, Premier League giants City and Arsenal are 'leading the race' for his signature.

The youngster has made quite an impact in senior football, netting twice and registering two assists in six appearances for his club since making his breakthrough earlier this season. Salia will hope to impress enough to make a late charge into Georgia's squad for Euro 2024.

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However, new UK immigration laws could pose a hurdle for Premier League clubs as they cannot sign foreign players until they turn 18, although there have been calls for these rules to be eased. This could potentially see City and Arsenal lose out on Salia, with other clubs reportedly showing interest, including Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

Salia's style of play has drawn parallels with Kvaratskhelia back in Georgia. Both forwards made their first-team debuts for Dinamo Tbilisi at 16 and attracted attention from Europe's elite clubs during their teenage years, as reported by the Express.

Outside of the upcoming transfer window, Arsenal and Man City are already direct rivals in the Premier League title race. The Gunners are a point ahead of Pep Guardiola's side as they look to close the two-point gap to leaders