After a solid EURO campaign despite its minnow status and a strong selection of talent rising through the ranks, it’s looking like Georgia may just be a footballing nation to keep an eye on.
Alongside PSG’s Kvicha Kvaratskhelia and Lyon’s Georges Mikautadze, Newcastle may have already locked down a Georgian attacker with some real potential.
With Vakhtang Salia set to officially join the Magpies at the end of August when he turns 18, are we seeing signs of a future star before our eyes?
Even though his side fell to a 2-1 defeat against top of the table FC Iberia 1999, Salia dazzled for Dinamo Tbilisi during his 10 minute cameo on Wednesday night.
Coming off the bench in the 80th minute, Salia latched onto a through ball and blitzed towards the Iberia box, before sending in a quality cross for Teimuraz Odikadze to poke in for a late consolation goal. Watch it below:
Vakhtang Salia provided a fantastic assist off the bench for Dinamo Tbilisi last night! 🇬🇪
Great direct play there, skilfully beating his opponent with lightning pace before fizzing in an accurate cross. His teammate could hardly miss. 🎯
The 17-year old forward now has two… pic.twitter.com/TBDXP5ylTD
— Magpie Media (@MagpieMediaX) April 10, 2025
It’s the second goal contribution in as many games for the teenager, and he’s showing real potential even if only as an impact sub for his club.
Much like Yankuba Minteh and Garang Kuol in the past, Salia is currently pencilled into sign for the Mags permanently on the 30th of August, when he officially turns 18-years-old, before going out on loan.
These recent loans to European clubs have been very hit and miss for us in recent times: in the case of Minteh, the Gambian went on loan to Arne Slot’s Feyenoord and looked spectacular, eventually seeing us pocket £35m from Brighton for a player who didn’t even play a game in black and white.
Kuol however struggled for both contributions and minutes across numerous loan spells, with spells at Hearts and Volendam going awry.
Described by Eddie Howe as having both a great attitude and being hungry to learn, could a spell in the Newcastle U-21s be a move better suited to a striker like Salia?
The youth system as a whole has been on a steady improvement in terms of quality and promotion to the senior team, whilst the unpredictable nature and game time of a loan abroad can perhaps hamper even the most promising of prospects.
It’s done wonders for Kuol returning to the U-21s, whilst the likes of Ben Parkinson, Trevan Sanusi and Sean Neave have each graced the Newcastle bench in the last year after showcasing their skills across the youth system. For a player of Salia’s immense potential and “wonder kid” status, the club must pick the right move here.
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