Donetsk Shakhtar has announced another summer reinforcement: 19-year-old Brazilian attacking midfielder Gabriel Carvalho has joined the Ukrainian champions, moving to Ukraine from the Saudi Arabian league. This was reported by Sport RBC.UA citing the press service of the Donetsk club. According to the publication, the 'miners' have officially agreed with Al-Qadisiya to rent the Brazilian talent until June 30, 2027, and the agreement includes an option to buy the player's contract. According to football insider Fabrizio Romano, the potential buyout fee will be 18 million euros. The newcomer is expected to join the team soon and will become another young Brazilian in the club's structure.
The player's path: from Internacional to Saudi Arabia
Gabriel Carvalho was born on August 17, 2007, in Porto Alegre, stands 170 cm tall, and his main position is attacking midfielder. The player is a product of Internacional from his hometown and made his debut for the main team of the Brazilian club on June 16, 2024. In total, he played 30 matches for Internacional, scoring one goal and providing three assists. In August 2025, Carvalho moved to Saudi Arabian side Al-Qadisiya, where he played 12 games in the 2025/26 season, scoring one goal and making two assists.
International experience and prospects in the national team
The Shakhtar newcomer already has experience at the international level: since March 2026, Carvalho has been called up to the Brazil U-20 youth national team and has played three matches in its composition. This makes him one of the promising young players in Brazilian football, which attracted the attention of the Donetsk club, which traditionally works with talents from Brazil. The press service of the 'miners' emphasizes that the Brazilian should integrate into the team in the near future and immediately come into the view of the coaching staff.
Contradictory data
The sources differ in the details of the deal formulation. The main text and the Sport RBC.UA material (source_id 1) unequivocally call the deal a rental until June 30, 2027, with an option to buy for 18 million euros according to Fabrizio Romano. Meanwhile, the publication ua-football.com (source_id 4) in the headline characterizes the operation as an 'agreement on the transfer' of the 19-year-old Brazilian, without emphasizing the rental nature of the agreement. Essentially, both versions describe the same contract, however, the difference in terminology ('rental with option' vs. 'transfer') may affect the legal qualification of the deal and how it will be reflected in the clubs' reporting. Until the official disclosure of the contract terms, both interpretations remain equal.
When to expect a debut for Shakhtar
The newcomer can make his debut for Shakhtar as early as the principled UPL match against Zhytomyr's Polissya. The match will take place on Saturday, August 29, at 18:00 in Lviv. Thus, Carvalho will have a few days to adapt and get involved in the training process before a potential first appearance on the field in the colors of the Donetsk club. The transfer strengthens the 'miners' attacking line and continues the club's line of attracting young Brazilian players.
