Jonny Evans is in line to remain at Manchester United in a staff role after his playing contract expired at the end of the season.
While it was assumed Northern Ireland centre-back Evans would retire, the 37-year-old has been determined to assess all his options, mindful he did not want to leave his base in the north-west of England.
It is understood Evans is in advanced talks with United over a role that would see him look after the loan deals put in place for younger players.
In their retained list announced earlier this month, United had 33 younger players under contract, a significant proportion of whom will be loaned out during the 2025-26 season.
England Under-19 forward Ethan Wheatley may fall into that category, with United keen to avoid the striker suffering a similar experience to his stint at Walsall in the second half of last season, when he ended up playing on just four occasions.
Evans was the last remaining player at United to have been picked for a league game by Sir Alex Ferguson.
Goalkeeper Tom Heaton was named on the bench on a number of occasions at the start of his career but never made an actual first-team appearance.
