David de Gea
David de Gea has started 13 of Manchester United's 21 league games so far this season. Reuters

Sir Alex Ferguson has run out of patience with goalkeeper David de Gea and is set to bring in a replacement in this month’s transfer window. That is the surprising claim made by the Daily Mirror.

De Gea has earned much criticism for some of his performances since Ferguson committed £18 million on the Spaniard as the man to replace Edwin van der Saar in the summer of 2011. Yet the 22-year-old has shown that he has the potential to be an outstanding goalkeeper and, after being alternated with Anders Lindegaard for much of the season, De Gea has been an ever-present in the past month.

Yet the former Atletico Madrid man has struggled to deal with the aerial, physical side of the English game and Ferguson is now reportedly prepared to cut his losses.

According to the Mirror, the two goalkeepers under consideration to replace De Gea are Liverpool’s Pepe Reina and Asmir Begovic of Stoke.

Begovic is a name that has been linked to United before, with the Bosnian impressing as Stoke have amassed one of the Premier League’s best defensive records this season. The Potters are unlikely to want to lose their keeper midway through the season.

Liverpool could potentially be more willing to part with Reina, although he would be a surprise choice for United at this stage. The Spaniard’s form has dipped in recent times as he has made several high-profile errors. There have even been reports that Liverpool are looking to replace the 30-year-old.

In other transfer news, it is being reported that Manchester United are one of the clubs monitoring Luka Modric’s situation at Real Madrid as the Croatian struggles to make an impact at the Bernabeu.

The Daily Mirror reports that the former Tottenham midfielder is having difficulty trying to adapt to life in Spain and is already considering a return to the Premier League. While a bid could tempt him into leaving in January, it is believed that he is likely to stay at Madrid until at least the summer.

Modric, 27, was strongly linked to United before his £33 million move to the Spanish champions last summer. If they are to reignite their interest, United could face competition from Chelsea and Manchester City who have also previously been mentioned as suitors for the playmaker.

Manchester United have been linked with another Real Madrid player in recent times with reports suggesting that Cristiano Ronaldo’s rumored unhappiness could lead to a return to Old Trafford.

Even if Ronaldo does depart Madrid, however, it is likely that United will struggle to raise the funds to secure his services. Such matters would not be a problem for the nouveau-riche Paris Saint-Germain, who are also thought to be keen on the Portuguese forward.

The Daily Mirror claims that PSG are eager to bring both Ronaldo and his current Madrid boss Jose Mourinho to the French capital in the summer on the back of an interview their president Nasser Al-Khelaifi gave to Le Parisien.

“I respect Real Madrid and their president,” Al-Khelaifi said. “So if I want to have Ronaldo come to Paris, I will first call Real before engaging in any commentaries.