Watford eyeing Celtic transfer swoop | OneFootball

Watford are interested in signing Celtic’s Rocco Vata this summer.

According to The Athletic, the 18-year-old is attracting interest from the Championship side ahead of the transfer market re-opening at the end of the season.

Vata is an Ireland U21 international, and has already made his first team debut for the Scottish Premiership side.

The Hornets are keeping tabs on his progress and may make an attempt to sign the youngster in the summer.

The forward is out of contract at the end of the campaign, so will be free to negotiate a deal as a free agent.

Watford transfer latest

Any deal to sign Vata will still require a fee to Celtic as compensation despite his impending free agent status.

It is believed any compensation will likely cost up to £239,000, as determined by a tribunal at a later date.

However, Watford face competition in the race to sign the teenager, with European clubs also circling.

The likes of Como, Bologna and Sampdoria have all also been credited with an interest in the Ireland youth international.

Vata has made five league appearances for Celtic (all stats from Fbref), but he last featured on 3 February in a 1-1 draw against Aberdeen.

The youngster came off the bench in the closing stages to make his first appearance of this season.

A lack of game time could be behind his potential departure from Parkhead, although he has been offered a new deal by the Scottish club that would see him commit his future to the Hoops until the summer of 2027 if signed.

It is understood that Vata is keen to earn greater first team opportunities, which may determine where he plays next season.

Given his lack of minutes at Celtic under Brendan Rodgers, this may open the door to the Championship side to bring him to Vicarage Road.

Watford league position

Valerien Ismael’s position at Watford is currently under threat, which could also play a factor in this potential deal.

The 48-year-old has overseen a poor run of form in recent weeks, which has led to the team dropping to 12th in the table.

The gap to the play-off places is now 13 points with just 11 games remaining in the campaign, with the team having lost four of its last five games in the Championship.

Next up for Ismael’s side is a home game against Swansea City this evening in a 7.45pm kick-off.

Vata is a promising talent

Vata has earned international recognition at U21 level already, which is a sign of his promising talent.

Given the potential fee to sign the forward, this could prove a very shrewd move by the club.

Acquiring young talent at a low cost and developing them into more well-rounded players over a few years is a smart way to do business in the transfer window.

This could be a great example of this, and having a bright young forward coming through the ranks will be quite exciting for supporters.

If Watford can guarantee him some game time, then this could be a deal that has the potential to work out for both parties.