Chelsea's Thibaut Courtois is a better Premier League goalkeeper than Manchester United's David De Gea, former Arsenal shot-stopper David Seaman has told Sky Sports.
Courtois and De Gea are set to go head-to-head at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, with both players having enjoyed impressive campaigns.
De Gea's performances have earned him a nomination in the PFA Player of the Year award, which will be handed out at a ceremony in London next weekend.
Meanwhile, Courtois made the PFA Young Player shortlist, having shone after replacing long-standing Blues keeper Petr Cech as Jose Mourinho's No. 1.
Yet in the opinion of Seaman -- who played 75 times for England and won the Premier League title on three occasions with the Gunners -- Belgium international Courtois is a more accomplished keeper.
"For me it's Courtois," Seaman said. "He's been solid and shown his class. At Chelsea you don't get a great deal to do [as a goalkeeper], but when he's been called on he's been fantastic.
"De Gea had a really dodgy start, but he's shown his character and he's now showing everybody why Manchester United bought him. He's a quality keeper who makes some fantastic saves."
Seaman's career was also notable for high-profile long range shots that escaped his grasp, including Nayim's long-range strike for Real Zaragoza in the 1995 Cup Winners' Cup final and Ronaldinho's effort at the 2002 World Cup.
Referencing Courtois being beaten by a 65-yard effort from Stoke's Charlie Adam earlier this month, Seaman said: "Apart from the goal he let in against Adam he's had a great season. I'd tell him: don't worry, it happens to the best of us!"
Meanwhile, United's official website produced a set of statistics suggesting De Gea has the edge over his counterpart Courtois.
The statistics, provided by Opta, confirmed that De Gea has made 15 more saves than Courtois this season, while he also has a higher save-to-shot ratio and a 100 percent rate on catching crosses.