According to a report by FootballTransfers on Friday, October 16, 2026, since the Senegalese striker has had such a great debut for Aston Villa under manager Unai Emery, Manchester United may come to regret not pursuing him.

Some have questioned whether Manchester United squandered a chance to bolster their offensive options during the summer transfer window, given Jackson's performances since joining Aston Villa from Chelsea for a reported €55.5 million in August.

Michael Carrick has had a rough start to the season as Manchester United boss, with the club failing to win any of their first six Premier League matches. Their goal-scoring woes have also heightened interest in the club's hiring practices.

After spending €76.5 million, the Red Devils signed Slovenian striker Benjamin Sesko. However, Sesko has struggled to establish himself as a regular starter due to injury issues. This has led to Matheus Cunha being used as the team's main striker on multiple occasions.

United's starting center-forwards have struggled to find a consistent scorer all season, with the exception of Cunha's deflected late equalizer against Fulham.

If you believe FootballTransfers, Jackson could have fixed United's offensive woes. The 25-year-old has found the back of the net five times in eight games for Aston Villa, including a pair in Wednesday's resounding 6-0 triumph over Fenerbahce in the Champions League.

Even though Jackson was criticized for his finishing skills while playing for Chelsea, his technical skill, strength, and ability to create opportunities for teammates to score have kept him in high demand. He has given Villa more firepower and looked to be adjusting well to Emery's system in his early appearances.

Before Jackson's summer loan to Bayern Munich, rumors had circulated that he might join Manchester United. Their failure to compete with Aston Villa for his signature during the most recent transfer window may have been a costly oversight given their ongoing offensive woes.

United also have defensive issues that need fixing, but Carrick is still very worried about their lack of a reliable center forward. Pressure is building up to their next match against Leeds United, and the manager has the difficult task of boosting his team's play and giving them confidence to score again.