Six strikers Manchester United should target to end scattergun approach

Manchester United's desperation in the transfer market stinks stronger than a drive over Barton Bridge as they scramble to add some urgently needed reinforcements before time runs out.

The optimism that was quietly building throughout the summer has been completely obliterated after a breathtakingly dreadful start to the season which has laid bare just how far behind they are. It's also shown how poor the squad is, with positions that obviously needed strengthening this summer being neglected once more.

Despite United knowing they needed one and going into the summer with it as their priority, they have once again failed to sign a proper defensive midfielder and getting one looks unlikely. They continue to wait for Frenkie de Jong, a chase that should have been abandoned long ago, and even getting Adrien Rabiot in through the door hasn't been seamless.

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Midfield may be the biggest problem but attack isn't far behind. United are severely short on quality and quantity in attack, which could be reduced even further if Cristiano Ronaldo gets his wish to depart. United's transfer strategy in this department has been nothing but utterly embarrassing. The fact they even considered signing Marko Arnautovic paints a dark picture of their standing and they didn't even believe in that enough to follow through after a fan backlash.

The names that have been linked in the days since have hardly inspired confidence. Like Rabiot, Mauro Icardi is a talented player but one who hasn't played well for years and comes with considerable baggage. Matheus Cunha scored just seven times last season and Alvaro Morata has already flopped in the Premier League once.

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