Nottingham Forest are on the verge of completing the signing of former Aston Villa right-back, Alan Hutton according to The Sun. 

The Scotsman is a free agent, after Aston Villa revealed that he would be leaving the club at the end of last season.

Martin O'Neill is evidently keen to add to his squad before the new season gets underway in August and sees Hutton as a player that could add something to his team.

It had previously been reported by Football Insider that Wigan were in talks with the defender, although this latest report from The Sun suggests that Forest have edged ahead in the race to sign him.

Hutton made 34 appearances for Aston Villa last season, and certainly played his part in their promotion back into the Premier League.

Dean Smith's side narrowly beat Derby County 2-1 in the play-off final at Wembley earlier this year, and Hutton didn't feature in their plans for the future.

But their loss could be Forest's gain as they look to strike a deal for the experienced full-back before pre-season gets underway in the near future.

The Verdict: 

This is a smart signing by Forest if they can pull it off.

The Reds need depth at full-back, so signing Hutton on a free is the best move for both parties involved here.

He's got a considerable amount of experience of playing in the Championship, having made 34 appearances for the Villans last season.

This is a shrewd bit of business, and competition for places is never a bad thing for a manager to have. Hutton will also be a useful player to have in the squad as he has a lot of experience under his belt.