Manchester United have slumped to 16th in the Premier League and sit just one point above the relegation zone after the crushing 3-0 defeat against Bournemouth. 

Despite the huge uncertainty surrounding the job security of Michael Carrick, with Eddie Howe and Julian Nagelsmann both touted to take over, reports emerged that the board are still backing Carrick for now to try to turn things around for United. 

The Red Devils will be heading down to London to take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, and anything but a win and improved performance will add more unnecessary pressure on Carrick. 

The midfield will be hugely important in this fixture, not only to set the tone but also to nullify Chelsea's threat, as Tottenham Hotspur did in their 2-0 win over the Blues.

It was no secret that, since the end of last season, Mateus Fernandes had been United's top transfer target, alongside Elliot Anderson. Before the World Cup, it seemed the Red Devils were the only club in for the Portuguese international. 

Not only did the club have a free run at one point, but it is also well known that Bruno Fernandes highly rated his compatriot and that, growing up, the United captain was Mateus Fernandes's idol.

However, in the end, the former West Ham midfielder moved to Spurs due to the fact United were unwilling to match the £85 million package the North London club offered. After a poor start to the season, he ran the show against Chelsea and announced himself as arguably the best player in this Spurs side.

Missing out on Fernandes, as well as other top targets, led to Lisandro Martínez hitting out against the club's board for a lack of investment in the summer, with the centere-back claiming they had left Carrick and the current players out to dry.

On the Overlap Live Debate show, Jamie Carragher believed that the Spurs midfielder should have been a player United splashed the cash on, given his current ability and potential. 

He said (quoted via Football London): "He was the one I think Manchester United should have just gone for. I know they brought three in. They should have just brought two, and he was one of them.

"He was young, with plenty of time to improve. He looked class for West Ham last season, and that was the first time I’ve seen him in a Tottenham shirt really look the part. I think he’s a player."

While the calibre of players in terms of Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba is of the highest echelon with what they have both shown in the past, neither has shown their best performances yet at Manchester United.

Yet the signing of Andrey Santos has proved to be the most interesting, given that he cost £50 million and is seen as a rotation option. Ultimately, the Brazilian does have significant potential, and that cannot be denied, but it is hard to see why the club did not pay the extra thirty million for a player they had extensively tracked for months.

You could argue that had Mateus Fernandes signed for United instead of any of the three midfielders the club signed, he too would be struggling with the situation the club finds itself in. However, given his profile as a midfielder, he is exactly everything this current United side is crying out for. 

The club need to learn from the missed opportunities and poor recruitment style from the summer just gone, and go into the January window with a plan to try and get the best targets possible.