TWTD understands Leicester City’s Australian left-back Callum Elder has been training with the Blues with a view to joining on loan when the January transfer window opens, while free agent winger Simon Dawkins has also been with the Town squad for the last couple of weeks as he looks to win a deal.

Elder, an Australia U20 international, who joined the Foxes from Manly United based in his hometown of Sydney aged 16, will become manager Paul Lambert’s first Town signing.

The 23-year-old, who is out of contract in the summer, is yet to make a senior appearance for Leicester but has spent time on loan at Mansfield, Peterborough, Brentford, Barnsley and Wigan.

He was with the Latics for the whole of the 2017/18 campaign, in which they played in League One, making 30 starts and three sub appearances in all competitions, scoring once.

Elder’s only Championship experience came in spells with Brentford and Barnsley the previous season, a total of 11 starts for the two clubs.

When joining the Tykes, Elder, who qualifies for England and Scotland as well as Australia, described himself as “an athletic full-back. I like getting up and down the left-hand-side”.

The Blues moving for another left-back is likely to add to the speculation that Jonas Knudsen, who is out of contract in the summer and dropped to the bench for today’s game at Middlesbrough, could move on in January.

The 26-year-old Danish international is in talks with Town regarding a new contract but may be unwilling to commit himself to a new deal while the Blues look destined to drop into League One.

Town may well be willing to sell the former Esbjerg fB man now rather than allow him to depart on a free transfer in the summer.

Knudsen has previously been linked with FC Copenhagen and FC Midtjylland in his native Denmark and Fortuna Düsseldorf in Germany.

Meanwhile, we understand free agent former Derby winger Simon Dawkins, who was linked with the Blues last weekend, has been on trial with the Blues for the last fortnight.

Dawkins, 31, who left MLS side the San Jose Earthquakes in February, came through the academy at Tottenham and spent spells on loan with Leyton Orient, the Earthquakes, Aston Villa and Derby while a player at White Hart Lane.

In January 2014 the Edgeware-born left-sided wideman was sold to Derby for £500,000 without having broken into the Spurs first team.

Two years later, the 19-times-capped Jamaica international moved back to the Earthquakes in January 2016 but left this February.

Dawkins subsequently came close to joining Minnesota United and then spent time on trial with League One sides Charlton and Luton in the summer but wasn’t offered terms by either club. We understand the Blues are yet to make a decision on Dawkins.

Photo: Action Images

Northstander_Blue added 21:06 - Dec 29 I'm not sure what people were expecting
2

Taricco_Fan added 21:08 - Dec 29 Who are we realistically going to attract in January? Bottom of the league, getting cut adrift, no money... Even potential half-season loans on 'big' money might think better of it.
1

brendenward35 added 21:14 - Dec 29 I'm sure loads of people moaned about last minute Pennington loan but I think that has turned out OK. I trust in PL to make the right choices his probably on a good bonus if town stay up so his going to try his best. Got more chance in getting in players with PL in charge than PH that's for certain. Let's see how January goes fingers crossed. This guy from Leicester did good job for Wigan last season so has experience so definitely worth a go.

3

ArnieM added 21:23 - Dec 29 I'm encouraged by your comments.
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runningout added 21:58 - Dec 29 Need new faces by next week, not end of January
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ITFCsince73 added 22:02 - Dec 29 Trouble is we have a host of so called senior players worth £0. The best of the lot has lost 70% of his value in last twelve months. And currently on a very tidy 20k per week contract. The only senior players we had, end of last season, that had any transfer worth. Left last summer. Jonas was close to this bracket last summer, but no club was prepared to pay £1m asking price. And who can blame them.

2

Essexnblue added 22:02 - Dec 29 All Elder has to do is take the place of the current England left back, Chilwell. That's his challenge at Leicester so why not give him a chance with us. Also PL is actually trying before buying, surely another good sign as they are both training before we make a decision
3

osseyseleven added 22:33 - Dec 29 We will only sign young inexperienced players or old has beens on a free transfer like always......neither of which will help our situation ....EVANS must go . His 10 year tenure has crippled the club to a point that will take years to rebuild on and off the pitch.He is CLUELESS in every way relating to owning a football club
0

BlueandTruesince82 added 23:02 - Dec 29 PL has to look at getable players, IE players who want to come given our position thats a niche market place. My Leics loving mate says hes highly thought off. Dawkins is a trial so lets see. Upshot is this guy may well mean Knudson is on his way out which at this point is best for all concerned
6

Pencilpete added 23:56 - Dec 29 If we are planning for League 1 Josh Emmanuel and Myles Kenlock should be inked in as our 2 starting Full backs imo, players like bishop, Huws (If he ever gets fit) Dozzell, nydam , Downes, Lankester are all good up and coming players - this season is a disaster and League 1 looks increasingly likely but mix these youngsters in with seasoned pros like Chambers, Skuse and Sears - Plus Nolan, Nsiala, Edwards, Harrison all top performers in League 1 previously and the future still looks bright. There's no reason why we can't win promotion straight back if we keep hold of the squad we have.

2

runaround added 00:47 - Dec 30 Elder sounds like he would be a decent player to get in but don't see the point in Dawkins & I never rated him when he was at Derby where I remember him being more miss than hit. Loans or short term deals are the way to go as we cannot have a massive wage bill of unwanted players in league one. As well as left back, I think we need a right back & a centre forward plus, unless Huws, Adeyemi, Bishop & Dozzell can get back to their best, someone in midfield who can actually move forward WITH the ball

0

Jonnosdreadlocks added 04:07 - Dec 30 Would have been better to sign some out of contract players after Walters got crocked instead of more loan players. Gabby Agbonlahor and Darren Bent on 6 month pay as you play deal would have been perfect.
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franco added 08:36 - Dec 30 Watch Sunderland till I die , when the January transfer window is open , nobody wanted to go there when they were bottom, so who is gonna come here ?
-1

Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 10:14 - Dec 30 Well at least at 31 Dawkins ticks the "experience" box. Not sure what other boxes he ticks, however. But anyone who thought we were going to get a superstar in our current position is living in c c land.
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ITFCsince73 added 10:22 - Dec 30 Bringing a player in who proved no good at trials during the summer months is our thing I thought. Look at Spence. Sent packing after trial. Now our 1st choice right back.
1

blue86 added 11:40 - Dec 30 from a professional footballers view, why would you want to sign for a club bottom of the table on a 2/3 year contract, with relegation to league 1 looking extremely likely? loans are all we are going to get, and im fine with that as this is the sorry situation we are in. I really hope we can avoid the drop, but dont think we can in all honesty. hurst wrecked the squad and morale of the team and has a massive part to play for the sh*t were in now, but EVANS has now overseen so many bad appointments, made bad decision after bad decision, and underinvested in his time here, and for that EVANS is the main problem. I really do fear for us sometimes, but always try to live in hope. coyb

0

blues1 added 11:54 - Dec 30 Amazing how many idiots this club has as supporters. Evans hasnt picked these players to go for. Lambert has.. And why? Because like all us realists he knows that trying to get all experienced players to sign for us with the position we are in, is almost impossible. So hes looking atcwhat players he can sign. Im sure there will be more experienced players in our sights but cpnvincing them to sign will be hard.And theres no poibt in trying to sign players permanently in january as, as expected we go down we coukd be left with players on higher wages than we can afford thus leaving the club in a precarious financial position. Something which with the debt being owed to evans, not to outside sources, at thi moment, we're not.

2

ghostofescobar added 12:37 - Dec 30 Usual bargain bin that we are always shopping in these days. The only surprise is that people are surprised.
1

alfromcol added 14:54 - Dec 30 Lets all wait and see. People going ape-sh-t on no real basis/fact. We could get out of this yet and stay in the Championship. The fat lady hasn't started singing yet!
2

soclopath added 14:55 - Dec 30 More lost souls looking for money for nothing,how much longer will Evans go to the January sales??
1

Pecker added 14:57 - Dec 30 Lambert obviously sees something in them worth taking a look at. Nothing done yet, but if PL signs them both, then I will be happy with that.
0

jackson added 15:13 - Dec 30 My God almighty. What has this club come down to ? A mile adrift at the bottom and looking to sign league 1 rejects ? Penny pincher, ME is 100% to blame for this passing over Jack Ross & looking at Hurst as a "do it on the cheap" manager who "managed" only to wreck the club !!! If Evans has any shred of conscience remaining he will invest something like £20 in a SERIOUS effort to close the gap and give us a chance of survival.....but somehow i cant see him doing that .......

1

WoodfordTim added 16:07 - Dec 30 Just like socialists, good at spending other people's money. Those knocking Marcus Evans should think again. ME bought the Club, financially backed so called professional football managers for investments in new players & currently keeps the Club afloat. Total spent so far must be about £100 Million that Marcus has invested in ITFC. Please don't knock him. Who else would be crazy enough to get involved in a football club?!! It's financial madness. Makes no business sense at all. If we go down to League One, can we hold on to our promising young players? And the financial burden of it all will all be on the desk of ME to sort out. Be grateful that ME still is around and supports the Club!

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Scuzzer added 18:39 - Dec 30 Jackson...do you reckon Evans could stretch to £20?
1

runningout added 21:52 - Dec 30 Guessing PL likes what he has seen of Elder. Paul Lambert has been living near Leicester so might be half decent shout
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