Will he stay or will he go? That's the question Everton fans will be asking themselves at the moment, and it's a question that looks to be closer to an answer than for some considerable time.
I expect that most Evertonians were resigned to losing their star asset, Wayne Rooney, even before chairman Bill Kenwright came out, over the weekend, and admitted he is just about resigned to losing Rooney.
Mr Kenwright said he obviously wants Wayne to stay, and at least see out the two years that remain on his contract. But his departure might well be dictated by the perilous state of Goodison finances and happen sooner rather than later.
Everton are something like £40 million in debt and while no club, with the possible exception of Real Madrid, could come anywhere near the Goodison valuation of £50 million, Everton could expect to make a serious impression with their bank manager, whatever the fee.
They would also be able to give David Moyes a little more clout in the transfer market than he has enjoyed thus far in his tenure.
Bill Kenwright admits: "Certainly, a sale of Wayne Rooney would revitalise the club's finances but a five-year contract would also revitalise the club because the fact is we would have kept one of the major stars of world football."
The Everton chairman added: "It is a double edged-sword and I know which I want to happen. The facts are that he hasn't asked for a transfer and we would like him to stay."
Reading between the lines it looks as if Everton are resigned to losing their prized asset but, in this commercially driven world in which we live, everyone has their price. However, my personal feeling is that it isn't all about money, certainly not as much as some folk are making out when they talk about how much Wayne would earn at Manchester United, Chelsea or Real.
No, I think it is more about why nearly all little boys want to become professional footballers, because they love playing football and they want to win the FA Cup, the Champions League and the World Cup, and not necessarily in that order.
I guess when you are 18 and earning as much as Wayne is there isn't a great deal of difference between £25,000 per week and £100,000, apart from the obvious. So I am sure any potential move, remunerative as it will no doubt be, is down to Rooney's desire to put trophies on the mantelpiece more than improving his bank account.
With the greatest of respect, Everton are far less likely to win trophies, and we're talking Premier League and Champions League here, than United, Chelsea or Real, although pedants may point out that both United and Real will have to pre-qualify for this season's Champions League after disastrous campaigns in 2003-2004.
But on the basis of squad quality those three clubs are more likely to figure on the end-of-season roll of honour than Everton. The Goodison outfit, who finished just above relegation in May, would see a similar finish, come May 2005, as a real success.
From a pragmatic perspective Everton won't even need to trouble the calculator. If Rooney is sold, while his market value is still very much influenced by Euro 2004, Everton will be able to; (a) drastically reduce their overdraft and interest payments and; (B) use some of the transfer fee to re-build the team.
Another crucial point is this. In what appears to be a more realistic transfer market, in what is generally a depressed market, giving the manager money for new players will also have a double-affect. Firstly, one of the game's most highly rated young managers would be a lot keener to stay at Goodison if he was given financial clout and, secondly, the money spent could have a ripple-affect on domestic football, further down the football pyramid.
There are fringe players with Premiership clubs not able to get a first team game because their progress is blocked by foreign players, e.g. David Bentley, who would welcome an Everton shirt. Likewise there are players outside the top flight who are good enough, and hungry enough, to grab a chance of Premiership football, the way it used to be.
I think Wayne Rooney's departure from Everton is inevitable. I think all parties recognise that. What is to be hoped is that when it does happen let's hope that all parties concerned, especially Everton and Wayne himself, are happy about it than during this spell of unsettling speculation.
