Everton chiefs are bewildered by David Moyes' reluctance to ink a new £60,000-a-week contract.

The contract has been on the table since the end of July and it gives Moyes a 100 per cent pay rise, making him the highest earner in the club's history. But it will not be backdated and the pay hike only kicks in when he signs.

"The board are surprised the contract has not been signed yet," one Goodison insider told the News of the World. "For one thing, he is missing out on an extra thirty grand a week.

"He is unlikely to get a better offer so it doesn't make sense not to sign it."