Watford battling with Italian outfit to seal Celtic transfer agreement | OneFootball

Rocco Vata has emerged on the radar of clubs in England and Italy

Watford and Palermo are both in talks to sign forward Rocco Vata from Celtic this summer.

That's according to a report from Sky Sports Transfer Centre (21/06, 14:59), who say that the Scottish champions have offered the teenager a new contract, but that they are unlikely to seal an agreement.

Vata has come through the youth ranks at Celtic, and has found himself on the fringes of the first-team in the past couple of seasons.

In total, the 19-year-old has made six senior appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring once in that time, in a 5-0 win over Buckie Thistle in this season's Scottish Cup.

He has also produced an impressive record for their B-team, and been capped on several occasions by various youth teams for the Republic of Ireland, as far as Under 21s level.

Now however, it seems as though Vata could be on the move away from Parkhead in the next few months.

Watford in talks over Rocco Vata deal

According to this latest update, both Watford and Palermo are in discussions about the possibility of signing Vata ahead of next season.

As things stand, the forward's contract with Celtic is set to expire this summer, meaning he is free to agree a move to another club at this point.

It is thought that the Scottish champions have offered a new deal to the teenager, but that it is unlikely that any such extension to his stay at Parkhead will be agreed.

That could therefore open the door for one of these other clubs to secure the services of the forward in the next few weeks.

Meanwhile, journalist Fabrizio Romano has reported that Premier League side Nottingham Forest, and Serie A duo Bologna and Como have all already seen offers for Vata rejected.

For their part, Watford finished last season 15th in the Championship table, 17 points adrift of the play-off places, and six clear of the relegation zone.

This is their first transfer window since Tom Cleverley replaced Valerien Ismael as manager at Vicarage Road, and they are so far yet to make a first-team signing.

Palermo meanwhile, missed out on promotion to Italy's top-flight in the 2023/24 campaign after being beaten in the Serie B play-off by eventual promotion winners Venezia.

Rocco Vata could be a good signing for Watford

It does feel as though the signing of Vata could potentially be a good one for the Hornets if they can pull it off.

Vata is clearly a promising player with some considerable potential, and at 19-years-old, has plenty more time to develop and improve as time goes on as well.

That suggests that he can be a major asset in the future, and one who can bring in plenty of funds in a big sale further down the line if he does fulfil his potential.

Given his contract situation, this would also be an affordable deal for Watford, reducing the financial risk of it, and ensuring they can make a very useful profit if he does succeed.

Indeed, the level of interest there is in Vata, also means shows how good he can be, and means it will be a coup for whoever gets to sign him.

With that in mind, it does seem like a rather sensible move for Watford to make this move in an attempt to sign the Celtic prospect.