Real Madrid Prepare January Swoop for David de Gea

Real Madrid are preparing a bid for Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea as Carlo Ancelotti looks to bring in an established stopper to provide competition for Keylor Navas, according to the Daily Express.

Iker Casillas has fallen out of favour with the manager and his Spanish counterpart De Gea is currently a favourite to replace him at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The 23-year-old was brought by Sir Alex Ferguson as a long-term replacement for Edwin van der Sar and the youngster has delivered by establishing himself as one of the stalwarts of the game following a nervous start to his campaign.

However, Ancelotti believes that he can lure the youngster back to his home country and is likely to launch a bid in January with Casillas also being linked with a move to England.

Madrid are likely to face stiff opposition from United, who have invested a lot of resources in the stopper and view him as a long-term solution to their goalkeeping woes.

The stopper has already made 139 appearances for the Red Devils and Louis van Gaal is unlikely to let him go without a fight.

De Gea put in a match-winning performance for United against Everton which saw the Red Devils scrape past Roberto Martinez's men 2-1 and establish themselves in the top four.

His performance over the years has won him plaudits from United legend Paul Scholes, who keeps De Gea in the same echelon as legends like Peter Schmeichel and Van der Sar.

"I have always thought that with the best goalkeepers, and especially United's best goalkeeper, a large part of their success has been about their presence. Peter Schmeichel had it. Edwin van der Sar did, too," Scholes said.

"It is about being big but also being a character with a personality that allows you to impose yourself.

"With a top goalkeeper, you catch the opposition's forward glancing across at him in the tunnel before the game.

"With Schmeichel and Van der Sar, you could imagine them thinking 'I am going to have to be good to score today'.

"David does not have that physical presence yet, but he can develop that if he wants to. What he does have is a calm personality.

"He is a quiet lad, not a really hard worker, but one who is capable of some great saves."