Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could ignore Manchester United's need for defensive reinforcements this summer.
United made Matthijs de Ligt their No.1 transfer target but despite his willingness to move to Old Trafford, Barcelona remain in pole position.
Kalidou Koulibaly and Harry Maguire were identified as alternatives to the Dutchman but neither will not be available on the cheap.
ESPN reports Solskjaer has cooled his interest in the pair and will instead give United's current defensive options the chance to prove themselves.
It is claimed Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Eric Bailly and Marcos Rojo will all be handed lifelines, while Axel Tuanzebe will also get a shot once he returns from his loan at Aston Villa.
Victor Lindelof established himself as United's first-choice option in central defence last term but rarely had a consistent partner.
Smalling and Jones have been long-serving players at Old Trafford but doubts remain over their credentials at the very top.
Bailly enjoyed an excellent first season following his move from Villarreal but his form and fitness have caused issues since then.
The Ivorian is recovering from a knee injury but is expected to be fit for the start of pre-season.
Rojo meanwhile made just five appearances under Solskjaer and appeared the most likely to go, but he could be given another shot.
The United boss is eager to bring in a raft of new faces this summer following their sixth-placed finish last term.
Reports in Spain suggest the Red Devils have made a lucrative contract offer to Adrien Rabiot.
The 24-year-old is likely to command wages of £175,000-a-week and a signing-on fee of around £10m.
Juventus , Chelsea , Arsenal and Liverpool have been credited with an interest while Real Betis ambitiously made contact with the player, but simply cannot match the terms on offer from United.
