Cardiff’s Hayes bid branded ‘bizarre’

ABERDEEN manager Derek McInnes has told Cardiff City their offers for Jonny Hayes remain well short of the mark, branding the latest bid ‘bizarre.’

The Dons boss revealed the Bluebirds’ second offer for Ireland international Hayes was identical to their first — just structured differently.

And he reiterated his stance on Hayes, saying the winger won’t leave Pittodrie on the cheap, repeating that Cardiff need to be ‘serious’ in their attempts to sign him after an initial £500,000 offer was brushed off.

McInnes also claimed Cardiff’s pursuit of the 29-year-old wide man could be ‘unsettling’ the player.

He said: “We have had another offer from Cardiff for Jonny, but bizarrely it’s the same offer only just structured a bit differently. “It was rejected. “Is it unsettling for him? It possibly can be and whether that’s part of the tactic or whatever

“Jonny accepts our reasons for rejecting it.

“That’s three times we have had them on now and they have been told that it’s certainly nowhere near the valuation we have of him.”

Whether McInnes’ latest comments derail Cardiff’s pursuit of the twice-capped Irish winger remains to be seen. But if the Bluebirds want to land their man before the window shuts on January 31, it seems Aberdeen will demand much more money

“If they value him the way we do then they will need to be serious with their offer, but so far it has just been the same one,” added McInnes.

“He is invaluable to us in terms of his influence and his performances. But sometimes there does come a time when you get an offer where you have to weigh things up.

“At this stage we are way short of being there.

“There’s nothing we can do about it, I spoke to Jonny and he understands that.

“We just have to get on with our work, it is the actions of others who will determine what happens.”

FORMER Cardiff City manager Dave Jones has been appointed manager of Hartlepool. The 60-year-old will have Kevin Cooper as his assistant at the League Two club.