Celtic are not the only club circling David Watson, with fresh reports from Italy claiming Lazio have now identified the Kilmarnock midfielder as a potential summer signing.
Maurizio Sarri is on the hunt for a new box-to-box midfielder and, according to Il Messaggero, Watson has emerged as a young alternative to their primary target, Torino’s Ivan Ilić.
While Ilić remains Sarri’s preferred option, Watson’s profile, energetic, technically tidy and still only 20, has put him firmly on their radar.
Watson is out of contract at the end of the season and will be free to speak to clubs from January. That has already attracted strong interest from within Scotland, with Celtic among the sides tracking him closely, especially after missing out on Lennon Miller.
If Watson does head to Italy, he follows a successful trend of Scots heading to the Serie A.
Lazio’s interest means Celtic may face competition from a club that can offer Serie A football and a very different pathway, and with the player’s contract situation, it could quickly become a battle of opportunity and persuasion.
Celtic have had Watson on their list for months, and with midfield regeneration needed in January and beyond, they can’t afford to sleep on another top young Scottish talent.
“David Watson is a brilliant young player and a player that Kilmarnock fans have always held in high regard,” Killie TV commentator Andrew Milligan told CeltsAreHere. “Every week, regardless of performance or result, he’s always one that tends to get a pass mark. He always gives over 100 percent, chases every loose ball and presses the opposition constantly.”
“It just seems like he has bundles of energy. Even in extra time he’s still sprinting around chasing loose balls. Some fans have said he can be a bit of a headless chicken at times, but that’s only because of how hard he works. He just never stops.”