Jonny Hayes on way to Celtic but Patrick Roberts hopes fade

Celtic are expected to announce the signing of Jonny Hayes after the winger had a medical on Friday to pave the way for a £1.3 million move from Aberdeen.

Jonny Hayes was short-listed for the PFA Scotland Premiership Player of the Year award last season. Picture: John Devlin

However, hopes of recruiting Patrick Roberts have receded, with the Scottish champions no longer believing it possible to strike a deal for the winger.

Hayes was understood to have travelled to Glasgow on Friday night after having a medical in London. A fee and personal terms were agreed the previous day to make the 29-year-old Irishman, who had been on holiday in Paris, Brendan Rodgers’ first signing of the window.

Roberts, meanwhile, won’t be among the permanent arrivals to Celtic in the coming months. The 20-year-old winger, who has been on loan with the Scottish champions for the past 18 months, will return to Manchester City for pre-season, and be given a chance to impress Pep Guardiola.

It had been thought that if the City manager then decided – as expected – that Roberts was not ready to be a member of a senior squad he is expected to bolster with £200m worth of new signings, there would be a desire to sell, with Celtic prepared to offer upwards of £6m for the youngster who cost City £8m from Fulham.

However, according to reports in Manchester, City may be willing to hold off dispensing with Roberts on a permanent basis and, in that scenario, would want to see the attacker test himself in one of the big five leagues next season.

Loan interest in Roberts has already come from Nice, Hoffenheim, Schalke and Huddersfield Town, among others.