While playing down the loss of Rocco Vata, Brendan Rodgers gave away some surprising transfer details.The teenager joined Watford earlier in the week after six brief substitute appearances for Celtic, two of them under Rodgers, against Buckie Thistle in the Scottish Cup and a few minutes a week later away…
With a regular flow of young Celtic prospects heading south of the border it is surprising that there has been very little speculation over Vata joining an English club.
Football Scotland understands both parties are still far apart in negotiations and talks will continue as nothing has been agreed.
I have been really impressed with Daniel Kelly too. He is a young player, he has got good physicality and is naturally left-footed and he has good energy.
Rocco Vata’s Celtic days appeared to be over after four substitute appearances last season, yesterday replacing Kyogo he scored his first senior goal with some opportunistic movement to anticipate Mikey Johnston’s low cut-back.
Since returning from Japan with the Celtic first team he has had to content himself with matches against sides like Caledonian Braves, Gala Fairydean, Cowdenbeath and Berwick Rangers.
Celtic will be entitled to a fee of around £300,000 for developing Vata but clubs will have to wait until next summer to get that move completed.
Vata has clearly become increasingly concerned about his stalled development compared to peers elsewhere, with Marco Tilio and Yang Hyun-jun joining Celtic in the summer his situation isn’t going to get better any time soon.
Two seasons ago Vata played with Ben Doak and Owen Moffat in the Celtic B team, one got away almost as soon as possible while the other stayed on too long.
Ben Summers is believed to be close to joining Dunfermline but before Vata can contemplate that type of move he will have to extend his Celtic contract beyond the end of this season.