Real Madrid confident of £60m deal for Manchester United keeper David De Gea with Jose Mourinho already eyeing possible replacements

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Real Madrid are confident of finally signing David De Gea from Manchester United this summer two years after seeing a deadline day move for the Spain goalkeeper collapse.

The Old Trafford hierarchy are determined to resist any bids from Madrid for De Gea, but it’s understood that manager Jose Mourinho is drawing up a shortlist of replacements in case the situation changes.

Mourinho does not want the saga to drag on throughout the summer as it did in 2015 when Real’s £29million bid for De Gea, which also involved Keylor Navas moving to United in exchange, fell through at the last minute because the paperwork was not submitted in time.

Real Madrid are confident of signing Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea this summer

United manager Jose Mourinho is already eyeing possible replacements for the Spaniard

De Gea, 26, subsequently signed a new four-year deal at Old Trafford which has no release clause, meaning that Madrid would have to pay in excess of £60million to sign him this summer.

That has not deterred the European champions who believe they can entice De Gea, who played for Atletico Madrid before joining United for £18.9m in 2011, back to the Spanish capital. Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois is their other leading target to replace Navas at the Bernabeu.

As Sportsmail reported earlier this month, there has been tension between Mourinho and De Gea after the United manager blamed his goalkeeper for a lack of focus and assertiveness in the draws against West Brom and Everton.

Both Mourinho and his goalkeeper De Gea share the same agent, Jorge Mendes (pictured)

Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is another leading transfer target for Real Madrid

Sergio Romero was then brought in for the next game at Sunderland with Mourinho citing a minor hip injury for De Gea’s absence, but the Spaniard has since regained his place and is expected to be in goal for Thursday's Manchester derby at the Etihad.

The situation is all the more intriguing given Mourinho’s ties to Madrid and the fact that he and and De Gea share the same agent in Jorge Mendes.

Mourinho said in February that his friendship with Real president Florentino Perez and his right-hand man Jose Angel Sanchez would ensure that any fresh approach for De Gea was made in the correct manner.

‘I can say that we are friends forever, big friends,’ said Mourinho. ‘I like them a lot. Friends speak. Friends are open, friends are honest.

‘So if at the end of the season I want one of their players or they want one of our players, we will not exchange messages through the press. We will be very direct. So they are one of the clubs that I am not worried about at all.’