Celtic agree £1.3m deal for Jonny Hayes: Aberdeen will take Ryan Christie on loan
GETTY Jonny Hayes has completed a £1.3million move to Celtic
The transfer will see midfielder Ryan Christie return to Pittodrie on a season-long loan. Cardiff, Nottingham Forest and Birmingham were all keen on Hayes, but the 29-year-old winger made it clear he wanted to move to Parkhead to work with his former Reading boss Brendan Rodgers. The Republic of Ireland international is expected to sign a three-year deal after completing a medical. Hayes has been a consistently top performer in his five seasons at Aberdeen since joining from Inverness in 2012. He has been on the four-man shortlist for the PFA Scotland Player of the Year award in each of the last two seasons.
GETTY Ryan Christie will head in the opposite direction on a season-long loan
His arrival at Celtic will fill the void left by Patrick Roberts’ return to parent club Manchester City. The Parkhead careers of forgotten duo Scott Allan and Saidy Janko also appear to be over. Playmaker Allan has been sent to Premiership rivals Dundee on a season-long loan. Swiss right-back Saidy Janko spent last term on loan at Barnsley but is now set to make a permanent move to fellow English Championship side Bristol City. However, Celtic sources have denied they are interested in Sion’s Switzerland international Reto Ziegler. The 31-year-old former Juventus and Tottenham defender had claimed he was considering offers from Celtic and Real Betis.
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Meanwhile, Parkhead defender Kristoffer Ajer’s dream debut for Norway Under-21s has quickly turned into a nightmare. The 19-year-old faced Kosovo on Monday night, scoring as the hosts cruised to a 5-0 win in Drammen. However, it later emerged that Ajer, who spent last season on loan with Kilmarnock, was ineligible for the encounter. Having been sent off for Norway Under-19s against Spain in March, the rules state that the suspension must be served in the next fixture in the same age group or the one immediately above. That meant Ajer should have sat out the clash with Kosovo. The Norwegian Football Federation now expect UEFA to hand their beaten opponents a 3-0 victory, costing the Scandinavians three points and sending them to the foot of their Euro 2019 qualifying group.
GETTY Scott Allan has also left the club on loan to join Dundee