Paul Stretford’s Pro-Active organisation are poised to take Rooney under their wing and the agent insists there is nothing sinister in the delay – which comes after the youngster scored a stunning winner against Arsenal over the weekend.

Rooney is now set to put pen to paper on the four-year deal – which he has already given his blessing to according to Everton’s vice chairman Peter Kenwright – in December.

Stretford told PA Sport: “It’s all been made clear by Mr Kenwright this morning that until discussions are completed with his change of management the deal won’t be signed.

“I don’t know when it will happen but it should be in the very near future, we would hope so.

“Certainly there is nothing for anyone to worry about – we just have the best interests of the boy at heart.”

Following his match-winning display in the 2-1 win on Saturday, Rooney was hailed as England’s brightest prospect by Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, with Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier also tipping the 16-year-old to be a “big star”.

The Frenchman said: “Arsene repeated to me that he’s the best young talent he’s seen for a very long time.

“I don’t think he was comparing him to Michael Owen when he said that Rooney was the best young English talent he had seen but, when there’s a player of that quality at that age showing such talent and scoring a goal like that, then you must take notice of that talent.

“I’ve just seen a few glimpses of Rooney on TV and I’ve noticed that on both occasions he’s changed the face of the game, first briefly at Manchester United, and then on Saturday.

“He looks a real talent. He has the attributes to be a big star.”

And Wenger piled on the praise again today.

He said: “There’s no doubting he is a huge talent, the rest is down to his intelligence, motivation and health, because those are the things you need apart from ability to succeed at the highest level.

“You need to have something special to do what he is doing at the age of 16, and he certainly has all the ingredients to become a special player.”