Stoke City's Jack Butland admits he would consider Manchester United move

Stoke City and England goalkeeper Jack Butland admits he would consider an approach from Manchester United but is currently concentrating on cementing his status as first-choice stopper for both club and country.

Butland, 24, was monitored by the Old Trafford hierarchy a couple of months ago, according to the Mirror, and made his comeback from a severe and troublesome ankle injury towards the back end of last season.

He was instantly reinstated in Gareth Southgate's England squad on his return to fitness, starting the Three Lions' 3-2 friendly defeat by France last month, and kept three clean sheets in his five matches for the Potters, who endured a rather disappointing campaign under Mark Hughes.

Stoke finished a lowly 13th last season but Butland is confident Hughes' men can achieve better in the upcoming campaign. The former Birmingham City stopper spoke of his desire to win trophies at the Bet365 Stadium, but he also has designs on competing in the Champions League in the future - a competition Manchester United have a much greater chance of qualifying for on a regular basis.

A move to Old Trafford could well depend on the future of David de Gea, who has long been linked with a move to Real Madrid, but for now Butland is solely focused on pre-season with Stoke and has no time to give credence to speculation over his future.

"My ambitions are to be the Stoke number one and England number one, but there are other things I want to achieve in my career as well," Butland told talkSPORT. "I want to play in the Champions League and I want to win trophies.

"There's no reason why we can't win trophies at Stoke, we'll try and win some cups and do as well as we can, but I obviously have ambitions. If it's the right move at the right time, you never know. You always have to think about these things.

"A club like Manchester United, or whoever it may be... Manchester United are, for me, the biggest club in the world and you have to take those things in consideration. But if it's right, if it's not, I'll make those decisions at the time.

"I'm back in a Stoke kit at the minute and I'm focused on doing as well as I can in pre-season and the season ahead, and what will be, will be. It's all just speculation and rumours at the moment, and I don't get into that too deeply."

Arsenal are also believed to be interested in Butland, who still has four years left on his contract with Stoke. The former Leeds United and Derby County brushed off speculation linking him with a move to the Gunners, but with Petr Cech advancing in age and David Ospina expected to leave Arsene Wenger's men may see fit to plunge into the transfer market for a new 'keeper, though their immediate focus is on the imminent arrival of Lyon forward Alexandre Lacazette.