Paul Scholes: Manchester United should sign Petr Cech from Chelsea if David De Gea joins Real Madrid this summer

Scholes says Cech could be like Edwin van der Sar

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Paul Scholes believes that Manchester United's first choice to replace David De Gea should be Petr Cech, should the Spaniard leave for Real Madrid this summer.

Writing in his exclusive column for The Independent, Scholes speaks at length about the current Manchester United No 1, who has been linked with a move back to Spain this summer.

United manager Louis van Gaal appears resigned to losing the goalkeeper and whilst Scholes doesn't believe De Gea should leave, he pointed to a very good replacement should the move happen - Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech.

"If De Gea does go, United should sign Petr Cech," writes Scholes.

"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."

The news won't be welcome at Stamford Bridge, where Jose Mourinho has said time and again that he doesn't want to sell the goalkeeper. He added that should Cech leave he wouldn't want him to join a Premier League rival.

But with Cech and his family now settled in England, he may not want to uproot his family and move abroad.

Scholes added that the best goalkeeper he played with Peter Schmeichel, was a "phenomenon", even in training.

"The best goalkeeper I played with at United was Schmeichel. He was a phenomenon in training, never mind on match days. He just never wanted to concede and he would do everything to stop you scoring. As a striker, as I originally was, and then an attacking midfielder, it has always been my aim in life to embarrass goalkeepers; to dominate them, to force them into mistakes. I don’t know why anyone would want to be a goalkeeper. It is a hard position to do well.

"That means the good ones, you must hang on to. It would be a shame if De Gea was to leave United, because he has the potential to be one of the all-time greats at the club."