Colchester United have said the arrival of Dean Gerken back at the club meant they could allow goalkeeper Dillon Barnes to join Championship side Queens Park Rangers.

The 23-year-old has opted to take a deal with the R's and has has signed a two-year contract with the London club, becoming the second U's goalkeeper to leave the club for a Championship outfit after Rene Gilmartin's switch to Bristol City.

Barnes made 26 first team appearances in 2018/19.

Colchester's director of football Tony Humes said: "This is an opportunity for Dillon to progress at a Championship club and gives him a platform to work with high level players and to see where he can get to.

"We made a decision to bring in Dean Gerken as number one this season, which means that Dillon's opportunities were likely to be limited.

"QPR showed interest and he's made a decision to take that opportunity, and we wish him well."

Barnes started his career at Barnet, before moving to Fulham and then enjoying loan stints at Farnborough and Bedford Town.

He joined Colchester in 2015.

He becomes Rangers’ ninth addition of the summer transfer window and manager Mark Warburton said: “We’re delighted to welcome a talented, young goalkeeper with so much development potential in Dillon to the club.

“He has shown many qualities in his career already – and we look forward to seeing him develop in the months ahead.”

Goalkeeping coach Gavin Ward says Barnes will provide good competition between the sticks.

He told the QPR website: “We’re bringing in a goalkeeper who has done fantastically well at a young age at Colchester.

"We see the potential that Dillon has got and we are hopeful that we can turn him into a very good goalkeeper.

“I’ve seen a lot of him.

"He has got the raw ingredients to become a very good goalkeeper.

"We have to perfect that now and make him technically as good as he can be."