Schalke 04 goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is emerging as a top target for Manchester United.

With Edwin van der Sar set to sign a new 12-month deal, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is expected to delay by at least 12 months any need for the club to find a successor.

Ferguson's scouts have been busily assessing suitable goalkeepers over the past year, planning for the day when the 39-year-old retires.

Schalke's Neuer has so far been the pick of the crop but his club price him at £15m, which would be too big a chunk of United's reduced transfer budget, says the Mail on Sunday.