Mark Hendry’s rapid updates on Rocco Vata talks
Soccer Football - Scottish Cup - Fourth Round - Celtic v Buckie Thistle - Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - January 21, 2024 Celtic's Rocco Vata in action REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
After tweeting that Rocco Vata had turned down a four year contract from Celtic Mark Hendry has quickly added that the player remains in negotiations.
With his contract expiring at the end of this season interest from Italy has been widely reported in the 18-year-old but he made an unexpected return to the Celtic squad that faced Buckie Thistle in the Scottish Cup.
Vata hadn’t made a matchday squad under Brendan Rodgers but came off the bench to score his first top team goal as Celtic progressed into the next round of the cup with a 5-0 victory over the Highland League side.
That development seemed to have opened the doors to a new contract but it seems that things are complicated as Hendry’s tweets demonstrate.
Vata’s representatives remain in talks with Celtic over a long-term deal. https://t.co/hBfjdMUSm4
— Mark Hendry (@mhendry92) January 29, 2024
With just three days left to complete transfers it would seem natural that incoming deals are a priority.
Vata’s situation does seem to have flip flopped over the last year, the tweets above suggest that there is still some mileage left before the future of the Irish u-21 internationalist is decided.