Terms agreed: Celtic close in on first summer signing as player flew into Glasgow on Friday – report
By Harvey Byrne
Aberdeen attacker Jonny Hayes flew into Glasgow on Friday evening as he looks to finalise his move to Celtic, according to a report.
The Sun have claimed on their website that the 29-year-old right-winger has agreed a three-year deal to move to the Hoops after undergoing a medical in London.
It is detailed that the paperwork just needs to be “rubber-stamped later” and that he is now set to become the club’s first summer signing with Celtic set to announce him on Monday.
Young midfielder Ryan Christie, who spent the second half of the last campaign on loan at Aberdeen is also understood to be a part of the deal and he is set to join the Dons on a season-long loan.
Hayes has previously worked with Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers while the two were at Reading.
He has since gone on to play for such clubs as Leicester and Inverness before ending up at Aberdeen in 2012.
The four-time capped Republic of Ireland international has been a key part of the Dons side over the five years and last season he proved integral in their runners-up placing with nine goals and an incredible 19 assists from 32 Premiership appearances.
Football Insider verdict:
This signing has been a long time coming and it will only further help Celtic establish their dominance over the rest of Scottish football. However, he is not the “name” signing that Hoops fans are looking for and he is also not the type of player who will make an impact in the Champions League. Domestically this is a very smart piece of business and while Rangers are scouring the European market, Celtic are buying proven players from their direct rivals and this should only widen the gap further.
In other Celtic transfer news, a Premier League club are ready to offer a deal to this Hoops target.
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