Cardiff City are also heavily linked with the Republic of Ireland international and where he ends up is hard to predict.
The transfer saga regarding Aberdeen winger Jonny Hayes has taken another twist after it emerged that Championship side Nottingham Forest are prepared to better Celtic’s bid for the 29-year-old, as reported by the Irish Examiner.
While Cardiff City are willing to do the same, according to the same Irish Examiner report, Forest’s interest in Hayes comes as a surprise; despite the assumption that another winger to fit into Mark Warburton’s 3-4-3 system was high on the Reds boss’s shopping list.
Hayes scored 11 goals in 42 games for Aberdeen in all competitions this season, and it is that goal-scoring form that makes him in high demand, with Forest and Cardiff both willing to better Celtic’s £1.3m bid and £15,700 weekly wage offer.
Forest’s system under Warburton encourages goal-scoring wingers, or inside forwards, to make their mark known, but partially due to a lack of options, Warburton played centre forward Ben Brereton – who the Reds are tipping for huge things – on the right hand side of a front three.
The other options Forest have for those roles are Mustapha Carayol and Jamie Ward, which forced Warburton’s hand in playing both Zach Clough and Brereton out of their preferred positions as a result, so Hayes’ arrival – if Forest can get it over the line – would be a brilliant start to the summer transfer window for the Reds.
Given the Champions League football that Celtic can offer, as well as a guaranteed Scottish Premier League title, it would appear that the Bhoys are favourites for the Aberdeen winger, but Forest’s alleged interest is more than just a spanner in the works from a Celtic perspective.
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