Aberdeen are set to seal a deal to sign former Celtic winger Jonny Hayes, despite late interest from Reading according to the Daily Mail. 

Hayes is currently a free agent after turning down a contract offer from Neil Lennon's side, having struggled for consistent game time with the Bhoys this season.

The winger made 26 appearances for the Scottish giants this season, as they clinched another league title ahead of arch rivals Rangers.

Hayes has previously played for Aberdeen, and made 207 appearances in total for the club, before moving to Celtic in 2017.

But the 32-year-old has also been on the books with Reading in the past, having started his professional career with the Berkshire-based side.

The Royals are currently sat 14th in the Championship table, and will be hoping they can finish this year's campaign strongly under the management of Mark Bowen.

Aberdeen finished fourth in the Scottish Premiership this season, and will be hoping they can improve on that next term, when competitive action gets back under way in Scotland.

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The Verdict: 

He could have been a useful addition to the Royals squad.

Hayes has impressed me when he's been involved for Celtic, but I wasn't surprised to see him moving on at the end of this year's campaign, as he simply hasn't featured enough for Neil Lennon's side.

Again though, I'm not convinced he'd be a regular start for Reading if he had signed for them, as they already have the likes of Ovie Ejaria and Yakou Meite available to them.

I think Hayes has made the right decision in opting to move back to Aberdeen.