Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes send a warning to Cardiff City, who are after his winger Jonny Hayes, reports the Daily Mail.
The 29-year-old was subject to a £500,000 bid from Cardiff, which was rejected on Friday. But McInnes does not believe the Championship outfit are anywhere near the true valuation of his Republic of Ireland international.
“I’d tell them (Cardiff) or anybody else, ‘Be serious with your offer’ and we can get it resolved and see where it takes us,” the Dons boss said.
“If not, leave the boy alone and let him concentrate on what he’s best at.”
The Reading academy product still has 18 months left on his contract with the Scottish Premiership club and has attracted lots of interest following this season’s performances, but McInnes is putting the club’s interests before Hayes’:
“Jonny just wants to make the best for his own career,
“And if a move to another club helps him do that then we just need to deal with that when it comes along
“But for now he’s our player and we want that to remain the case for the rest of the season.
“I think Jonny accepts we are quite within our rights to reject that offer. We spoke to him and I think the ideal situation now is to get things resolved quickly. It might be to unsettle the player and destabilise him but what it can’t do is destabilise us.”
Hayes, who has two international caps plus appearances in Europa League qualifying rounds, would be a huge boost to Neil Warnock’s side. The winger made a name for himself at Inverness Caledonian Thistle, where he scored 25 goals in three season, before moving to Scottish title challengers Aberdeen.
The Bluebirds sit 18th in the Championship and entertain Burton Albion at the weekend.
