TRANSFER NEWS: Man Utd in shock bid to replace star player.

Manchester United are reportedly keen on the idea of signing Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel in the event that David de Gea decides to leave the club at some point in the near future.

Despite de Gea committing himself to the club with a new four-year contract earlier this season, there is still a general understanding that he will end up joining Real Madrid as soon as the Spanish giants are willing to trigger a £30m release clause.

A report from the Sun claims that a move for Schmeichel is the preference for assistant manager Ryan Giggs, over the likes of Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic, who himself only recently signed a new long-term contract.

The same story revealed that de Gea ultimately sees his future at the Bernabeu rather than Old Trafford, although he is certainly not keen to "leave United in the lurch".

Should Schmeichel succeed the Spaniard as United's number one, he would be following the footsteps of his own legendary father, Peter, who was widely regarded as the best goalkeeper in the world during his eight seasons at the club.

At 29 years of age, Schmeichel Jr. is only marginally older than his father was when he first moved to Old Trafford from Brondby in 1991 and has proven himself to be a top Premier League calibre stopper since returning to the top flight with Leicester in 2014.

The Danish international has been a key member of the Foxes team that has emerged as a shock title contender this season. He was arguably even more important in helping the club beat relegation a year ago - three huge saves in a narrow away win over Burnley late in the season particularly stand out in that respect.

Since coming through the youth ranks at Manchester City, Schmeichel's career up to this point has almost been like an apprenticeship. After a series of loan spells, he played in League Two for Notts County, served his time in the Championship with Leeds and then Leicester, and now appears ready to test himself at the highest level.