Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace have suffered a blow in their pursuit of 20-year-old Watford attacking sensation Rocco Vata.
Crystal Palace are interested in acquiring the services of Rocco Vata, who has made quite a name for himself with his impressive performances for Watford. While the Eagles would love to add him to their squad in the winter transfer window, that seems unlikely.
According to Pete O’Rourke via Football Insider, Vata remains committed to Watford, and he is not considering a move away from the club at this point.
After coming up the ranks at Celtic, Vata made the move to Watford in the summer of 2024. The youngster has only gone from strength to strength since, and he has contributed towards 12 goals in his 47 outings.
The 20-year-old winger made an impressive start to the season with four goal contributions in his 10 league outings, but a hamstring injury last month means he will now be spending a significant amount of time on the sidelines.
While reports suggested that with him out injured, a winter move away was off the cards. However, clubs like Fulham and Crystal Palace, who have been scouting him for months, retain interest in the Irish youth international.
The Eagles, who have an excellent track record of signing young players from the EFL Championship and grooming them, seem very keen on signing the 20-year-old, who prefers playing out wide on the left flank, but has been used in a more central role this season by Watford.
Pete O’Rourke on Rocco Vata’s future
While speaking about Vata’s future on Inside Track podcast, O’Rourke said, “There’s no chance he’s going to leave Watford in January. He’s out injured until late January so I don’t see any club paying that type of money for Rocco Vata as he just returns from a long-term injury so nothing’s going to happen in January.
“He had a bright start to the season with Watford, there’s no doubt about that, picked up two goals and two assists in ten games as he made a good impact. Obviously, the injury has held him back and he’s not expected back until late January at the earliest, so any of the interested clubs will pursue a move.
“Watford have big plans for him, they don’t want to lose him either, he’s under contract until 2028. If there is Premier League interest in him, Watford will look to get as much as they possibly can from him. I don’t see any move imminent for Vata right now, think the main focus for him is to get him back fit for the second half of season and get him back playing to what he was before the injury.”
Vata to continue at Watford for now
With Rocco Vata out injured until late January, the Eagles will certainly have to think twice before making a move for him in this window. While the 20-year-old will be excited by the opportunity to play for a Premier League outfit, for now, he is focused on regaining fitness and getting back to his best.
The Republic of Ireland international remains committed to Watford, and he wants to continue in the Championship for now. With his contract running until 2028, they are under no pressure to negotiate his departure. If a Premier League club comes knocking, they will look for fortune for the 20-year-old.
