DUNFERMLINE have made a late deadline day swoop with a loan move for Cardiff City defender Xavier Benjamin.

In the last few moments, the club have announced that they have agreed a deal with the Welsh club to bring the 20-year-old to KDM Group East End Park on loan until the end of the season, subject to international clearance.

He becomes their third acquisition of the January transfer window, which closed at 11.30pm in Scotland this evening, after bringing in fellow Cardiff centre back, Malachi Fagan-Walcott, and Blackpool forward, Brad Holmes.

Benjamin joined the EFL (English Football League) Championship Bluebirds in June 2022, when he made the switch to the Welsh capital having previously been in Fulham's youth set-up.

Dunfermline Press:

During his time at Craven Cottage, Benjamin played 27 times in the Under-18 Premier League before leaving for Cardiff.

Playing predominantly with the Bluebirds' under-21 team, he has regularly been their captain, and has been noted on the club's website as being "a commanding presence in the City's backline".

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This season, he has played twice for their first team - starting in both - in Carabao Cup and FA Cup ties with Colchester United and Sheffield Wednesday respectively.

Benjamin, who was named as Cardiff's academy player of the year in April last year, will link-up with Bluebirds club-mate, Fagan-Walcott, who completed a loan move to the Pars until the end of the season earlier this month, making his debut during Saturday's draw at Dundee United.

Cardiff said: "Xavier Benjamin has joined Dunfermline Athletic on loan for the remainder of the 2023/24 campaign, subject to international clearance.

"The defender has captained City's U21 side since joining the Club in 2022, winning Academy Player of the year at the end of the 2022/23 season.

"Benjamin joins the Pars, who are competing in the Scottish Championship following their promotion from the Scottish League One as 2022/23 league winners.

"All the best in Scotland, Xav!"

On Tuesday, 21-year-old Holmes arrived at Athletic from Blackpool, and both he and Benjamin could be in line for debuts when Greenock Morton visit East End this Saturday.