COLCHESTER United are set to sign Nottingham Forest defender Aaron Donnelly on loan, according to reports.

Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke is reporting that the U's have reached agreement with the Premier League side to bring the young Northern Irish defender in for the season, before Friday's deadline.

Donnelly, a left-sided defender, has been at Forest since 2019, when he joined them from Northern Irish outfit Dungannon Swifts.

 

The 21-year-old penned his first professional contract with the Reds in 2021 and made his professional debut for them in 2022 when he started their EFL Cup win over Grimsby Town.

Donnelly extended his contract with Forest in December 2022 and the following month, joined Port Vale on loan.

He made 20 appearances for Vale, scoring once and the following season, joined Scottish Premiership side Dundee on loan.

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Donnelly clocked up 21 total appearances for the Scottish club, helping them to a top-six finish and earning a call-up for Northern Ireland, for whom he made his senior debut earlier this summer against Andorra.

He was linked with a return to Dundee this season but it now seems as though Donnelly will join Colchester.

The left-sided defender will add competition in the U's defence, as they aim to move up the League Two table.