Arsenal Competes with Man Utd for Shakhtar Prodigy Elias
Arsenal’s summer hasn’t slowed since lifting the Community Shield. Now they are stepping into one of the most intriguing transfer battles of the window.
Fresh from a commanding 3-0 win over Manchester City in Cardiff, the Premier League champions are reportedly moving alongside Manchester United and a cluster of European heavyweights for Shakhtar Donetsk forward Kaua Elias Nogueira.
Mikel Arteta’s side open the defence of their title at home to newly-promoted Coventry City on Friday night, with the Emirates already braced for a season of expectation. Behind the scenes, though, the work is far from finished.
From Fluminense to the spotlight
According to TEAMTalk, Arsenal are tracking Elias, the 20-year-old Brazilian who has rapidly turned himself into one of Shakhtar’s headline acts since arriving from Fluminense in February 2025 for £14.5m.
The numbers tell you why Europe is watching.
- Fifteen goals in 49 appearances for the Ukrainian champions.
- A perfect hat-trick – left foot, right foot, header – in a 5-1 demolition of Kudrivka on August 3 in the domestic top flight.
That performance at Arena Lviv turned into a live auction room. Around 10 clubs, including Arsenal and Manchester United, were in attendance to watch Elias tear the game apart. Scouts didn’t leave with many doubts; they left with questions over how much it will cost to get him out.
Shakhtar value the forward at around £30m. The expectation is clear: he goes either in this window or after the 2026-27 season. AC Milan and Porto are also on the list of admirers, pushing this beyond a simple England shootout.
Arsenal’s next attacking swing?
Arsenal have already landed one major piece this summer, prising Brazil international Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United to strengthen the midfield. They also explored the very top end of the attacking market, only to see Vinicius Junior commit his future to Real Madrid.
So attention has turned to the next wave. Elias fits that bracket: young, explosive, and still mouldable.
Yet there is a reality check. Breaking straight into Arsenal’s starting XI would be a huge ask. Arteta can already call on Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz as central attacking options in a squad built to retain the Premier League crown.
Manchester United, under Michael Carrick, face a similar puzzle. They have Benjamin Sesko leading the line, another young striker whose development the club cannot afford to stall.
The crucial decision for Elias
That is where this story sharpens for the player himself.
Elias is not short of suitors, money or platforms. What he lacks is a guarantee: regular, meaningful minutes at the highest level. With interest from Arsenal, Manchester United, AC Milan, Porto and others, his next move will define whether he becomes a headline act or just another talented name stuck on a bench.
Shakhtar know they hold a valuable asset. The clubs circling know they are paying for potential as much as production. The question now is simple: who can convince Elias that their shirt is the one he’ll actually wear every week?
