Vakhtang Salia

Vakhtang Salia
Personal information
Date of birth (2007-08-30) 30 August 2007 (age 17)
Place of birth Tbilisi, Georgia
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Attacker
Team information
Current team
 Dinamo Tbilisi
Number 7
Youth career
Dinamo Tbilisi
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2023– Dinamo-2 Tbilisi 3 (0)
2023– Dinamo Tbilisi 32 (6)
International career‡
2022– Georgia U17 9 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12 December 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:22, 14 October 2024 (UTC)

Vakhtang Salia (Georgian: ვახტანგ სალია; born 30 August 2007) is a Georgian footballer who plays as a striker for Dinamo Tbilisi in the Erovnuli Liga, and will join Newcastle United in the summer of 2025.

Career

Club

Rated as one of Georgia's biggest talents,[1][2] Salia made his professional debut for Dinamo Tbilisi on 24 November 2023, in a 2–2 Erovnuli Liga draw against FC Torpedo Kutaisi.[3] In the following 2024 season, the 16-year-old regularly featured in the starting team of his club. Salia scored his first goal in the Georgian top flight on 10 March 2024, against Torpedo Kutaisi. He scored the winning goal as Dinamo ran out 1–0 winners.[4]

On 29 October 2024, Dinamo Tbilisi and Newcastle United announced that they had agreed a deal for the transfer of Salia in the summer of 2025 when he turns 18.[5][6]

National team

Salia made his debut for Georgia's under-17 national team in a 3–1 defeat against Israel on October 25, 2022.[7]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 1 November 2024[8]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Domestic Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Dinamo Tbilisi 2023 Erovnuli Liga 3 0 0 0 0[a] 0 0[b] 0 3 0
2024 25 5 1 0 2[c] 1 2[b] 0 30 6
Total 28 5 1 0 2 1 2 0 33 6
Career Total 28 5 1 0 2 1 2 0 33 6
  1. ^ Appearance(s) in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Conference League
  2. ^ a b Appearance(s) in Georgian Super Cup
  3. ^ Appearance(s) and goal(s) in the UEFA Conference League

References

  1. ^ Green, Yasemine. "A new Kvaratskhelia? Premier League clubs have begun the hunt for the 16-year-old Georgian forward". dailysports.net.
  2. ^ "El talento georgiano Vakhtang Salia, a punto de fichar por el Betis". OneFootball. 2024-04-04. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  3. ^ "Torpedo Kutaisi - Dinamo Tbilisi 2:2 (Erovnuli Liga 2023, 34. Spieltag)" (in German). Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  4. ^ "Dinamo Tbilisi - Torpedo Kutaisi 1:0 (Erovnuli Liga 2024, 3. Spieltag)" (in German). Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  5. ^ "ვახტანგ სალია ნიუკასლში". fcdinamo.ge (in Georgian). FC Dinamo Tbilisi. 29 October 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  6. ^ "Newcastle United sign Georgian forward Vakhtang Salia". newcastleunited.com. Newcastle United F.C. 30 October 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  7. ^ "Georgien - Israel 1:3 (U17 EM-Qualifikation 2022/2023, Gruppe 3)" (in German). Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  8. ^ Vakhtang Salia at Soccerway