Watford FC have committed transfer robbery - Celtic could help Hornets laugh to the bank | OneFootball

Othmane Maamma only cost the Hertfordshire outfit £1.1m from Montpellier

Watford oversaw a stunning piece of business this summer when they secured Moroccan starlet Othmane Maamma from Montpellier for just £1.1m.

Given that the winger won the Golden Ball as the standout player at the U20 World Cup earlier this year, he’s now proving to Hornets fans just how much of a bargain he was through his performances in the Championship.

But, with Scottish Premiership giants Celtic apparently already monitoring his progress, the Hertfordshire club could be set for a huge profit on him quicker than expected.

Watford's Othmane Maamma won the same award as Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi

When Watford completed the signing of Maamma in July this past summer, few could have anticipated just how quickly the teenager would repay the club's faith in his potential.

The Moroccan had played just 14 times for Ligue 1 side Montpellier, with two goals and an assist to his name - hardly the kind of record that screams elite talent at the top level of French football.

Yet the Hornets' recruitment team evidently saw something special, and events of the past few months have proven their conviction entirely justified. In Chile, Maamma provided four assists and scored one goal across eight appearances as Morocco became only the second African team ever to win the U20 World Cup.

The 20-year-old won the golden ball, which has previously been won by the likes of Paul Pogba, Sergio Aguero, Lionel Messi, and Diego Maradona.

Since starting the last three league games for the Hornets, Maamma created two chances and hit the woodwork against Preston North End, then scored away at Birmingham City.

It's also apparent he's loving the reception from fans - as he said after scoring against Blues: "I want to thank them (the fans) for making the trip to Birmingham, it was really enjoyable to see them and hear them so loud."

Celtic's interest in Othmane Maamma could spell Richarlison, João Pedro déjà vu

The reported Celtic interest emerging from 67 Hail Hail in November could be a huge early test of just how valuable Maamma has become in the mere months since his arrival at Vicarage Road.

Apparently, lots of other clubs had scouts attending to watch Maamma, as per the Scottish outlet, and they were probably all kicking themselves when they realised he had only just signed for Watford.

And in all fairness, it's just another example of the club's track record with solid recruitment. Yes, not every transfer is successful, but consider the likes of ex-Watford stars Richarlison and Joao Pedro.

Richarlison arrived from Fluminense for approximately £11m in 2017 and departed for Everton just 12 months later in a deal worth over £40m.

Just going off those figures, that deal represented a profit of about £29m on the initial investment within little more than a year - that's definitely incredible business.

As for Pedro, the Hornets reportedly spent just £2m on him - according to Sky Sports - before selling him to Brighton for a then-club record fee of just under £30m three years later.

It's still very early days for Maamma, as he's only appeared in five league games so far, but should he continue his good run of form over a longer period of time, then it's very reasonable to suggest that Gino Pozzo could find himself in a position to demand another large fee for the Moroccan.

In truth, any such scenario would obviously be another staggering return on the £1.1m initial investment. You could argue that it might end up being higher than the amounts the two Brazilian strikers went for, considering the amount of money spent on forwards now.