Manchester United Scouts Target Brazilian Striker Kaua Elias

Manchester United’s summer rebuild is not finished yet, and the next move may come from an unlikely stage: a one-sided league game in Lviv.

On Monday, Shakhtar Donetsk forward Kaua Elias delivered the kind of audition every scout dreams of. A perfect hat-trick in a 5-1 demolition of Kudrivka – left foot, right foot, header – with representatives from some of Europe’s most powerful clubs watching from the stands.

United were there. So were Arsenal. According to reports, both clubs took in the 20-year-old’s performance, with an official offer now expected for the Brazilian, whom Shakhtar value at around £30million.

A rising No.9 on Europe’s radar

Elias is still at the start of his European journey. He joined Shakhtar from Fluminense in 2025 and has already forced his way into the conversation for a major move. Twelve goals and three assists in 39 appearances is not an earth-shattering return, but it is enough, in a developing side, to convince elite clubs that there is serious upside.

United’s recruitment team have gone beyond the numbers. Scouts were specifically instructed to study Elias at close quarters after a series of encouraging displays, and their feedback has been emphatic. Inside Old Trafford, the Shakhtar striker is viewed as having the “potential to develop into a top-level centre-forward”.

The appeal is not just about end product. Those same reports describe Elias as “highly compatible with United’s press-heavy, fast-transition system” – a forward who can lead the line, chase lost causes and still provide a cutting edge in the box.

That profile matters. United want forwards who can suffocate opponents without the ball and then break with pace when they win it back. Elias, in the eyes of their scouting department, ticks those boxes.

Arsenal, Milan and Porto circle

United, though, are not alone. Arsenal have been tracking the Brazilian for several weeks and remain firmly in the frame. The London club are monitoring the market for a long-term striking option of their own and see Elias as a player who could grow into that role.

On the continent, AC Milan and Porto are also in the hunt. The Rossoneri hierarchy are understood to be weighing up a bid, while the player’s representatives have already received what have been described as “concrete signals” from interested parties.

Elias, for his part, is believed to be open to a move to one of Europe’s top leagues. Shakhtar’s valuation of £30m reflects both his current output and the belief that he is only scratching the surface of what he can become.

United now face a familiar dilemma: move quickly and decisively, or risk being drawn into a bidding war that hands the initiative to a rival.

Carrick’s attacking gap

The need for a new striker at Old Trafford is obvious. Michael Carrick heads into the new season with Benjamin Sesko as his only recognised out-and-out centre-forward at senior level.

Joshua Zirkzee is expected to depart, with Juventus leading the chase from Serie A. If that move goes through, United’s depth up front becomes even more fragile, leaving Sesko carrying a heavy burden in a campaign that will demand rotation.

That is where Elias comes into focus. He is not the finished article, but he offers something different: mobility, aggression in the press and the instinct of a penalty-box striker. For a coach intent on building a high-energy, front-foot side, those traits carry weight.

Squad rebuild still in motion

United have already moved decisively in midfield, bringing in Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans to reshape the centre of the pitch. The spine has been strengthened, but the work is not done.

With weeks still to run in the transfer window, the club are exploring options for a third midfielder, a full-back and, crucially, a striker. The search for that forward could now be narrowing on Lviv’s new hat-trick hero.

There has been movement in goal as well. Altay Bayindir left for Celta Vigo on Friday on an initial loan, with the La Liga side holding a £3.5m option to make the Turkey international’s stay permanent. It is another sign of a squad in transition, with places opening up and roles there to be claimed.

The next question is simple enough, even if the answer carries long-term consequences: do United trust their scouts and push hard for Kaua Elias now, or watch a potential “top-level centre-forward” grow into that status somewhere else?