Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Rocco Vata has signed for Watford on a four year contract and that the Championship side will pay Celtic in excess of £200k as a cross border development fee.

This brings to an end a long running saga involving the Celtic Academy star who spent ten years at Celtic and was given albeit limited first team exposure by both Ange Postecoglou and Brendan Rodgers.

Free agent

Vata was offered a new contract by Celtic but instead choose to let him contract expire on 30 June
so that he became a free agent. With numerous offers on the table from Italy, the Republic of Ireland U21 forward opted instead for mid-table Championship side Watford. The attraction could well be more first team football that he assessed he’d get at Celtic.

Moaning about losing another young talent, developed by the Celtic Academy seems pointless now. All that remains to be done is to wish Rocco and his family all the best.

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