Crystal Palace, Fulham, Atalanta and Frankfurt eyeing up Watford FC star - Hornets want huge £20m windfall | OneFootball

Watford winger Rocco Vata is a wanted man, with clubs in the Premier League and across the continent chasing the Scotsman's signature

Watford's Irish winger Rocco Vata is in demand this January, with both Crystal Palace and Fulham in the Premier League monitoring the £20 million-rated player's situation, as well as clubs on the continent, such as German outfit Eintracht Frankfurt and Italian side Atalanta.

Like most seasons at Watford, it hasn't been smooth sailing.

Uruguayan head coach Paulo Pezzolano was appointed to take the reins at Vicarage Road this summer following the dismissal of Tom Cleverley, but after just three wins in ten matches, he too was dismissed.

Watford have garnered a reputation for being particularly trigger-happy when it comes to dismissing head coaches/managers over the years, and that has not changed this season, with Javi Gracia, who once had a previous stint with the Hornets in which he guided them to an FA Cup final, now back at the helm.

The Hornets sit in 15th after 17 games, and ahead of their Monday night fixture away to Birmingham City, The Daily Mail has reported that numerous clubs in the Premier League and across Europe are tracking their Irish winger, Rocco Vata, in a potential £20 million deal.

The Daily Mail reported that Vata, 20, is being courted by clubs in the Premier League and Europe, with the winter transfer window on the horizon.

Somewhat coincidentally, it was announced that Vata switched agencies to StormSportsX on Saturday, 29th November, leaving his previous agency of CAA Base, following the likes of fellow Watford duo Imran Louza and Pierre Dwomoh to switch agencies as of late.

Vata, who has made just five starts in his 12 appearances in the EFL Championship for Watford this season, has now been linked with the likes of FA Cup winners Crystal Palace and Fulham in the Premier League, with European regulars Atalanta and Eintracht Frankfurt said to be sniffing around the Irish youth international.

The Irishman, whose contract runs until the summer of 2028, with Watford possessing the option to extend for a further year, is rated at £20 million, with it appearing as though the Hornets will be unwilling to sell, especially this January, unless they receive a lucrative fee.

Vata has missed the last four Championship games due to injury, with the 20-year-old picking up a 'serious hamstring injury' against Ipswich Town, with head coach Gracia saying he will be out of action for "a long time".

Despite this, the rumour mill is beginning to pick up, and Watford's resolve may be tested as early as January for their Irish starlet.

Vata spent his entire youth career with Celtic, joining the club as a youngster in 2012 and progressing his way through to the first team.

Despite being born in Glasgow, Scotland, Vata has represented the Republic of Ireland at every youth level and has since made his senior national team debut, pledging his allegiance to the country of his grandmother.

He could have also chosen to represent Albania through his father's side, Scotland through his mother's, and by virtue of being born there, and Montenegro, but chose The Boys in Green.

Since he arrived at Vicarage Road in the summer of 2024, where Watford had to pay a £250k compensation fee to Celtic, he has struggled to nail down a place in the side's starting 11.

Only 20 of his 43 Championship appearances have come from the starting 11, competing with the likes of Kwadwo Baah, Giorgi Chakvetadze, Tom Ince, and Nestory Irankunda for a place in the side.

With a lengthy spell on the sidelines now expected, Vata will not be able to show what he can do ahead of the January interest and may struggle to force his way back into the side upon his return.

Although still only 20, Vata has ample time to stamp his authority on the second tier when he returns to fitness, and interest in the Irishman will likely resurface if a move doesn't go through this winter.

Vata has shown himself to be a richly-exciting talent at his best, even if the wide-man remains somewhat raw, and while it's no surprise to see other clubs casting their eyes towards his services, it's unlikely that he will be leaving for a £20 million windfall anytime soon.