Arsenal and Man Utd Compete for Shakhtar Star Elias
Arsenal’s summer hasn’t slowed since lifting the Community Shield. Now they are moving off the pitch as aggressively as they played in Cardiff.
Fresh from a 3-0 dismantling of Manchester City, Mikel Arteta’s side are being linked with one of Europe’s most talked-about young forwards: Shakhtar Donetsk attacker Kaua Elias Nogueira.
The Premier League champions open the defence of their title at home to newly-promoted Coventry City on Friday night, with expectation already swirling around the Emirates. A busy window has helped fuel that mood. The headline arrival so far is Brazil international Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United, a signing designed to thicken Arsenal’s midfield and give Arteta even more control in the centre of the pitch.
What they still lack is one more elite attacker. They wanted that player to be Vinicius Junior, but any faint hope disappeared when he signed a new deal at Real Madrid. So the search has moved on. And fast.
Elias on the radar
According to TEAMTalk, Arsenal have joined Manchester United and a cluster of other top clubs in tracking Elias during the closing weeks of the summer window.
Shakhtar signed the Brazilian from Fluminense in February 2025 for £14.5m. That fee already looks like a bargain. Since arriving in Ukraine, the 20-year-old has scored 15 goals in 49 appearances, numbers that stand out for a player still learning the European game.
His latest statement came on August 3. Shakhtar thrashed Kudrivka 5-1 in the Ukrainian Premier League, with Elias producing a perfect hat-trick – left foot, right foot, header – in a performance that underlined why scouts have been flocking to see him.
Arena Lviv was packed with decision-makers that day. The report states that around 10 potential suitors were in attendance, including representatives from Arsenal and Manchester United, as competition for the forward intensifies.
Shakhtar value Elias at around £30m. The expectation, according to the same report, is that he will leave either in this window or at the end of the 2026-27 season. AC Milan and Porto are also credited with interest, adding Italian and Portuguese options to the Premier League pull of Arsenal and United.
Do Arsenal or Man Utd actually need him now?
That is where the story becomes more complicated.
On pure talent, Elias fits the profile both English giants crave: young, explosive, and with resale value. On opportunity, it is a different picture.
Arsenal already have Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz as senior central-attacking options. Both are trusted by Arteta, both are proven at the top level, and both expect to start the bulk of the big games as the champions look to defend their crown.
Across the country, Michael Carrick’s Manchester United are building around Benjamin Sesko. The Slovenia international is seen as the focal point of their attack, a long-term project they want to grow into a dominant No.9.
Drop Elias into either dressing room and the challenge is obvious. Minutes will be hard to find. Starts even harder.
That is why his next decision goes beyond badge and salary. At 20, he needs a club that will not just sign him, but play him. A place where the perfect hat-trick in Lviv is a starting point, not a highlight reel memory.
Arsenal, United, Milan, Porto: the names are glamorous. The race is real. The question for Elias is simple – who offers a pathway, not just a platform?
