Manchester United prepare move for Asmir Begovic as David de Gea replacement

Manchester United have earmarked Asmir Begovic as the man to take over from David de Gea, should the Spaniard leave for Real Madrid in the summer, according to the Daily Mirror.

The Red Devils have made Hugo Lloris their main target for the summer, but the management believes that he is overpriced by Spurs at £25m ($39m), especially as the Frenchman wants to leave the club in search of Champions League football.

United are heavily indebted to De Gea this season for their top-four finish, with the 24-year-old making a series of important saves to deny opposition teams and single-handedly win the 20-time-Champions a lot of points, which helped them hold off Liverpool for a place in the most revered competition in Europe.

Begovic has been in brilliant form for Stoke and is holding off on signing a new contract that expires next season. Available for £8m, he along with Victor Valdes will form a strong relationship at the back for United and can alleviate the loss in the event of De Gea's departure.

Jack Butland is expected to take over the number one spot at Stoke, where he has been an observer for the past two years. Liverpool were also interested in his services, but settled for Simon Mignolet, who has not put a foot wrong after making his way back into the first team.

Meanwhile, Madrid are expected to make contact with De Gea before the end of the month, having all but relinquished their position in the league and been knocked out of the Champions League by Juventus. Iker Casillas, who is currently the first choice with the reigning European Champions has been linked with a move to the Premier League, with Arsenal a possible destination for the 33-year-old.

The Red Devils will face Arsenal in the weekend as they look to keep their hopes alive for a place in the top-three, with the Gunners currently two points ahead and a game in hand.