Paul Scholes has encouraged Manchester United to replace goalkeeper David de Gea with Chelsea's Petr Cech.

With his contract up next summer, De Gea, 24, has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid and has reportedly already agreed personal terms with the Spanish giants.

Likewise, the Czech veteran is expected to leave Stamford Bridge after falling behind Thibaut Courtois in the pecking order, with the 32-year-old earning permission to speak with other clubs.

United boss Louis van Gaal recently revealed that he had a shortlist of replacements in mind, and Scholes hopes that Cech is one of them.

"If De Gea does go, United should sign Petr Cech," he wrote in his column for The Independent. "I remember the effect Edwin van der Sar had on the club when he arrived in 2005. United had struggled since Peter Schmeichel to find a really commanding goalkeeper. Fabien Barthez was the closest we got.

"Edwin came ready-made. He was a Champions League winner, he had four years' Premier League experience with Fulham, and in the end our manager got six extremely successful years out of him.

"Edwin was almost 35 when he joined United. Cech has only just turned 33. He could potentially play another six years for United. There would be no concern about having to give him time to play his way into the position or the demands that the Premier League makes of a goalkeeper new to the country. United won't want to lose De Gea but there is a solution in the offing."

On Thursday it was reported that Arsenal were in pole position to sign Cech.