The direction is to "leave" - we have to negotiate a Brexit deal. Possibly a choice on options, if any, will need to be put to a public vote through a GE or further referendum later (eg. if the government fails to carry their preferred option).
The EU isn't going to provide a menu of options that can be offered to the British people on brexit - the government will only be able to negotiate one deal, which is unlikely to be ideal (as it will likely need to trade off access to the free market against restrictions on free movement, we won't be able to have both) from the perspective of most people.
So once a deal is agreed then it can be put to the british people on a take it or leave it basis against remaining in the EU - then we would have a clear mandate for our future relationship, which we don't have currently - it may be that were the exit deal to be WTO (no access to the single market) but with ability to restrict migration that a majority of people would prefer to be in the EU rather than that rather extreme brexit option.
I suspect the most likely outcome (and most consistent with the narrow referendum result) would be to formally leave the EU (thereby respecting the vote to leave) but to make the changes as limited as possible, therefore recognising that there was no overwhelming mandate for radical change. And, of course, that outcome would be EEA with access to the single market with perhaps some limited restrictions on migration - probably requiring a job offer to come to the UK.
