Everton sealed their survival for another season in the Premier League as they secured all three points with a 1-0 win over Brentford at Goodison Park on Saturday.
The Toffees are now 11 points clear of the relegation zone with three matches to play, which means that they will be in the top-flight once again next term.
Sean Dyche's side have won four of their last five games in the Premier League to go clear of the bottom three, which leaves Nottingham Forest, Luton Town, and Burnley battling it out to avoid going down.
The club can now turn their attention to the summer transfer window as they potentially look to improve the squad to ensure that next season is not as much of a struggle at the bottom end of the table.
Dyche and his team could look at signings to make an immediate impact in the first-team next term, but they could also bring in talented young players with a view to them being future stars.
Everton's interest in Celtic's teen starlet
Back in March, TEAMtalk journalist Harry Watkinson reported that Everton are one of a number of teams eyeing up Celtic teenager Rocco Vata ahead of the summer transfer window.
His contract with the Scottish giants expires next month and the Toffees are keeping close tabs on his situation ahead of a possible swoop for his services.
Italian side Lazio reportedly made a move for him earlier this month as they look to steal a march on their rivals to get a deal done for the talented youngster.
In March, The Athletic reported that Celtic have offered Vata a new contract to remain with the Premiership outfit, which would extend his current deal through to 2027.
However, it was added that the forward has found first-team opportunities hard to come by under Brendan Rodgers, which has opened the door to a potential exit.
The Athletic named Watford, who would have to pay a fee of around £239k in compensation to sign him, Como, Bolonga, and Sampdoria among the clubs interested in a deal for the 19-year-old starlet.
Vata has been at Celtic since the age of seven and they would be due compensation from any team signing him on a 'free' transfer this summer, as they have attempted to tie him down to an extension after developing him through their youth system.
Whilst the teenage whiz may not be ready to hit the ground running in the Premier League, Dyche could sign him a dream successor to Abdoulaye Doucoure in the second striker role behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Abdoulaye Doucoure's Premier League season in numbers
The Mali international has operated as the attacking midfielder, or second striker, behind the starting centre-forward in the top-flight for the Toffees this season, with the likes of Idrissa Gueye, Amadou Onana, and James Garner lining up behind him in a midfield two.
Doucoure went viral over the weekend for an Instagram post with the caption 'Talent 10%. Mental 90%. Never give up.', with talkSPORT reporting that some fans took it to mean he was joking about only having 10% of talent, rather than the likely intended message of the importance of having a strong mentality.
The 31-year-old dynamo has been a regular starter for the Toffees throughout the season, starting all 29 of his league appearances, which speaks to how much Dyche trusts him to do a job on the pitch.
Appearances
29
xG
7.05
Goals
6
Big chances missed
9
Assists
2
Big chances created
4
As you can see in the table above, Doucoure has chipped in with moments of quality in the final third to secure points for Everton, with eight direct goal contributions in 29 matches.
However, the experienced gem has also underperformed his xG by one goal and this suggests that there is room for the Toffees, or Doucoure himself, to improve in that area.
The attacking midfielder has also struggled with the physical side of the game throughout the 2023/24 campaign, with a duel success rate of 36% in the Premier League.
His current contract with Everton is due to expire in the summer of 2025, when he will be 32, and Vata could be brought in with a view to him being the long-term successor to the former Watford man.
Why Everton should sign Rocco Vata
Per Transfermarkt, the teenage whiz's main position is as a second striker, which makes him the ideal heir to Doucoure's role behind Calvert-Lewin.
The 5 foot 9 attacker has only made six first-team appearances for Celtic thus far, scoring one goal, but his form at youth level for club and country illustrates his big potential.
During the last international break, Vata showcased his goalscoring potential for Republic of Ireland at U21 level with a hat-trick against San Marino.
Sofascore rating
9.9
Goals
3
Big chances missed
1
Dribbles completed
4
Key passes
1
Duels won
5/11
As you can see in the table above, the Hoops teen was busy throughout the game, with goals, dribbles, one key pass, and duels won to make himself a constant threat to the opposition.
Vata, who talent scout Jacek Kulig once claimed has an "exciting" future ahead, has also been in exceptional form for Celtic's B team this season with a return of 12 goals in 15 Lowland League matches, and one goal in one Challenge Cup outing.
The 19-year-old marksman has plundered 21 goals and one assist in 31 Lowland League games since the start of last season, which is a return of one goal every 1.48 outings on average.
He also created two 'big chances' in just 44 minutes of action across four Premiership appearances for Ange Postecoglou at first-team level for Celtic last season, which speaks to his creative potential in a second striker or attacking midfield role.
These statistics illustrate Vata's quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals, with glimpses of his ability in the senior team as well as in the academy, and that is why Dyche should swoop to land him when his Hoops contract expires this summer.
The Irish youngster could turn out to be the dream successor to Doucoure in the second striker position behind Calvert-Lewin if he can translate his goalscoring exploits over to English football with more experience and development over the years to come.