Manchester United are in a serious rut and unless things improve quickly, Michael Carrick will soon become the latest head coach to be sent packing.

The 45-year-old was hired on a permanent basis this summer, following an eye-catching interim spell last season, but he has overseen the club’s worst start to a league season in 40 years, with just six points from their opening six Premier League games this term.

Next up is a trip to Elland Road to face old rivals Leeds United, who currently sit seventh in the table after an impressive start to the new campaign.

The build-up to the match will likely revolve around Lisandro Martinez’s potential inclusion following his outburst after their 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday night, and the possibility of Carrick being sacked if the Red Devils are unable to end a five-game winless run.

The Argentine has reportedly been fined for his post-match comments and he has issued a public apology after holding talks with the Man Utd hierarchy after training on Thursday.

However, rumours suggest that his views on the club’s lack of investment over the summer are shared by several team-mates, and there is certainly one glaring issue that should’ve been addressed before Transfer Deadline Day.

Man Utd should’ve signed Nicolas Jackson

Man Utd spent a whopping €76.5 million on RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko last summer, but his start to life at Old Trafford has been underpinned by a multitude of injury issues and he is yet to cement his place as a guaranteed starter under Carrick.

As a result, Matheus Cunha has been the club’s preferred striker this term and his 89th minute deflected equaliser versus Fulham remains the only goal scored by a starting centre forward for Man Utd all season.

The club’s defence is certainly an issue, but their lack of a quality number nine is also a huge problem. And it’s one that would’ve been solved if they had beaten Aston Villa to the signing of Nicolas Jackson.

The Senegal striker joined Unai Emery’s side from Chelsea for a fee of €55.5 million in late August and he has scored five goals in just eight games for the club, including a brace during a 6-0 victory over Fenerbahce in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Jackson was a divisive figure throughout his time at Chelsea, but he was grossly underrated by the vast majority of pundits and neutral fans, and he is already adored by the Villa faithful.

He has always been technically proficient, physically imposing and a striker with elite link-up play, albeit with inconsistent finishing. He has displayed those positive attributes on a regular basis since arriving at Aston Villa and his €55.5m price tag already looks like a bargain.

He has undoubtedly been an upgrade on Ollie Watkins, which is no mean feat, and he is the perfect striker for an Emery system.

Man Utd were linked with Jackson before his loan move to Bayern Munich last summer, but they opted against rivalling Villa for his signature this year and that decision has already backfired massively.

While Jackson and Villa have found their groove, Man Utd continue to struggle in attack and their failure to land the Senegal international now looks like a huge opportunity missed.