Fulham wonderkid Ryan Sessegnon turns 17 on Thursday but is not set to celebrate his birthday by signing his first professional contract with the Championship club.
The west Londoners are still confident he will put pen to paper, but he is not due at their training ground on Thursday for any special announcement.
Turning 17 means Sessegnon is now eligible to sign a pro deal but Sportsmail has been told he will sign one next month instead.
That is despite him attracting interest from Premier League clubs.
Meanwhile, Fulham’s board this week reassured Slavisa Jokanovic that they will not sell his best players this summer.
Sessegnon and Tom Cairney are among Fulham’s most coveted assets, but the Serb is happy with the messages he has received from his bosses since their play-off semi-final defeat by Reading.