Arsenal are leading the race to sign Celtic youngster Rocco Vata, according to the latest reports. The 17-year-old has been in fine form their B-team so far this season and the Gunners could ward off competition from several top clubs in Italy, as well as Manchester City, to sign him for a bargain fee.
Mikel Arteta's side are starting to benefit from the project the Spaniard and Edu have put in place at the Emirates. By investing heavily in youth, the Premier League leaders now have the perfect blend of ambitious players and experience in their ranks.
They're expected to continue in that vein moving forward as they look to make the project sustainable. As a result, the Gunners have been linked with Vata. As per TUTTOmercato, via FourFourTwo, Arsenal and City are the two Premier League sides who have registered an interest in the Celtic youngster, though the north Londoners are leading the race to sign him.
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The midfielder has also caught the attention of Serie A clubs Juventus, Roma and AC Milan. Celtic are believed to be holding out for around £2million for his services.
As many aren't expected to know too much about him, football.london has prepared a brief profile into who he is and what he can bring below.
Background
Vata has quite the cultural mix and is eligible for a number of senior international teams. Despite being born in Glasgow, Vata has represented the Republic of Ireland at youth level but is also eligible for Albania through his father and Montenegro via his mother and grandmother's side.
He's the son of former Celtic defender Rudi Vata who played for the Scottish side between 1993-1996.
Career so far
Having joined Celtic at the age of seven, Vata signed his first professional contract in 2021. He's currently plying his trade in the Scottish Lowland League where Celtic B's play. With five goals from midfield in just 11 games so far, he's making a good impression in the lower ranks.
He was included in pre-season training with the Celtic first team ahead of the 2022–23 season, but was later assigned to the club's B team in 2022.
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