English and Italian clubs keen on Celtic winger

Anthony Joseph has tweeted that clubs in England and Belgium are showing interest in signing Rocco Vata.

The winger played for 25 minutes in Celtic’s pre-season friendly against Gamba Osaka but missed out on the 1-1 draw with Wolves and the 6-4 defeat from Yokohama F Marinos.

Last season the young winger made three substitute appearances for the Celtic first team but the arrivals of Marco Tilio and Yang Hyun-jun has made the competition for places even tougher even though Jota was sold to Al Ittihad.

With a year left on his contract, August is going to be a big month for the player and club with Celtic having to come up with a clear pathway to first team football to hold on to the Irish youth internationalist.

A number of clubs in Italy, England & Belgium are keen on Celtic attacking midfielder Rocco Vata, who has just joined CAA Base football agency.

He has one year left on his contract.

Vata, 18, impressed for Celtic B & Ireland U19s. He broke into the Celtic first team last term. pic.twitter.com/oaWuAy9iDb

— Anthony Joseph (@AnthonyRJoseph) July 31, 2023

Celtic have lost a number of highly promising teenagers in recent years to English clubs with Ben Doak the most obvious example.

Vata is six months older than the Liverpool winger but will be well aware of the options that Doak and some of his Irish international colleagues have taken up.

If a new Celtic contract can’t be agreed the hoops are likely to agree to a transfer with multiple payment clauses rather than risk losing the winger in a year’s time while picking up a token Development Fee.