Manchester United are ready to reject interest in Phil Jones this summer to keep the defender at Old Trafford, sources have told ESPN FC.
Jones impressed Jose Mourinho last season, forming a partnership with Marcos Rojo that convinced the United manager to delay his move for Victor Lindelof.
Lindelof finally arrived in a £31 million move from Benfica earlier this month after initial interest in January, but Mourinho still wants to keep Jones at the club.
Jones, meanwhile, is hopeful of securing a place in the England squad for next summer's World Cup in Russia. And despite being told by national team coach Gareth Southgate that he must be playing regularly to be considered, the 25-year-old is keen to stay at United and fight for his place.
The former Blackburn defender, who is under contract until 2019 with the option of another year, made 26 appearances last season despite suffering a knee ligament injury in September and a toe injury in March.
Mourinho will need a big squad to cope with games in the Premier League, Champions League, EFL Cup and FA Cup next season with Lindelof, Jones, Eric Bailly, Rojo, Daley Blind, Chris Smalling, Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Axel Tuanzebe all options at centre-back.
Rojo, however, is not expected back from a knee ligament injury until December.
Smalling's future is less clear with reported interest in the 27-year-old from Tottenham, West Brom and Newcastle.
However, United are likely to demand a significant fee for the England international after Bournemouth paid Chelsea £20m for Nathan Ake, despite the 22-year-old making just seven Premier League appearances in five years at Stamford Bridge.
United's players are set to report back to Carrington next week ahead of their preseason tour of the United States.
With just a week to go before the squad fly to Los Angeles, Lindelof will be the only new signing on the plane.
And Phil Neville believes Mourinho will need more new recruits if United are going to challenge for the title next season. He told manutd.com: "I think it was a brilliant season last year and it finished well with [winning] the Europa League.
"Now we're looking to see who Jose signs because, if you look at the top six clubs, I think they will all strengthen. United have to strengthen and it'll be interesting to see which team strengthens the most.
"United are heading in the right direction and the confidence the manager and his squad got from winning the EFL Cup and Europa League can be taken into the Champions League and the league next year.
"It's going to be a difficult season, as everyone else is spending money and improving. United are going to have to improve as well because they didn't finish in the top four last season.
"Even that is a big ask, but I think Jose will want to win the Premier League. That's the big one. He won't settle for anything less."
Meanwhile, United are set for a £6m windfall when Michael Keane completes his move from Burnley to Everton after inserting a 25 percent sell-on clause in the deal when the defender left Old Trafford for Turf Moor in 2015.