IAN Atkins is ready to make a move to take Darryl Knights to Torquay United.Knights was linked with a loan switch to Plainmoor last month but with a change of chairman Atkins was not in a position to secure a deal.

By Derek Davis

IAN Atkins is ready to make a move to take Darryl Knights to Torquay United.

Knights was linked with a loan switch to Plainmoor last month but with a change of chairman Atkins was not in a position to secure a deal.

But after Knights scored twice three games in a row for Town Reserves Atkins is now understood to be ready to move things on to tempt Knights to the south coast.

The 18- year-old striker has been looking for a move at a higher division club but nothing has materialised and manager Jim Magilton is keen for him to go to the Seagulls for much-needed league experience.

Torquay will today lose striker Leo Fortune-West, who has been recalled by MK Dons, and are desperate to bring in a new front man.

Knights has not been close to the first team since making his debut against Sunderland a couple of years ago and needs to kick on quickly for the sake of his career.

He would join a number of players who will be at temporary homes over the next few weeks.

Dean Bowditch was on the bench for Brighton last night in the Johnson's Paint Trophy against MK Dons as he started his third loan move following spells at Burnley and Wycombe Wanderers.

Martin Brittain came off the bench after an hour for Yeovil at Shrewsbury on Tuesday night, to make his debut for the Glovers at the start of his month-long stint.

Although Ipswich played in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Colchester United yesterday a lack of reserve matches is limiting playing time for fringe players and Magilton is keen for people like Knights to get more meaningful matches under their belts.

Sammy Moore, James Krause and Scott Barron are also being lined up to join lower league clubs to help them improve.

Meanwhile it looks like the end of the Portman Road adventure for Darren Currie and Sito Castro, who are both likely to be transfer-listed in time for the opening of the January transfer window after being left out of recent squads.

Currie was originally named in the 17-man squad that travelled to Plymouth on Tuesday but was then omitted and his place was taken by teenage defender Chris Casement.

Blues chairman David Sheepshanks last night denied that former Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric had shown any interest in taking over at Ipswich Town.

Sheepshanks said: “Mr Mandaric never came to us with any proposals.”

The multi-millionaire has now publicly expressed an interest in buying Leicester City.