And with manager Paul Jewell keen to further strengthen the squad in January, a second attempt to land him looks set to be made.
Latics offered 7m euros for Elmander shortly before the deadline in August but a combination of factors prevented a deal being done.
One of the reasons was a reluctance by Brondby to lose the striker ahead of their UEFA Cup campaign, while the player himself was hesitant about joining a club new to the Premiership.
But Latics should have a stronger hand ahead of the reopening of the window if they can maintain their good start to life in the top flight.
After their first bid failed, Jewell revealed to the Evening Post: "Brondby had just been knocked out of the Champions League and are now in the UEFA Cup, so they didn't want to sell him.
"The boy also got word of our interest and again saw us as being a new club in the Premiership, which might have put him off."
Elmander kicked-off his career in Sweden with Orgryte before a big-money move to Dutch club Feyenoord in July 2000.
He later had spells with Djurgaardens and NAC Breda, before joining Brondby who did the league and cup double in Denmark last season.
While Jewell is pleased with how Henri Camara, Jason Roberts and David Connolly have done so far, it was always his wish to have four strikers in the squad.
When signing Connolly on deadline day, he admitted bids had also gone in for Elmander and Fatih Tekke at Trabzonspor in Turkey.
Ideally, Jewell wants two players for each position, and it's only up front where a body is currently lacking.
Meanwhile, Jewell will be keeping an anxious eye on the international matches this weekend in the hope that the seven Latics players on duty come through with a clean bill of health.
Leighton Baines and Ryan Taylor are in England's Under-21 squad for tonight's game with Austria in Leeds, Lee McCulloch hopes to play for Scotland against Belarus at Hampden Park tomorrow, while Graham Kavanagh and Connolly are in the Republic of Ireland party for tomorrow's clash in Cyprus.
Camara plays for Senegal against Mali and Josip Skoko should feature in Australia's friendly with Jamaica.
It's left the Wigan training ground a much quieter place than usual, although the remaining players in the squad have continued to train ahead of being given a long weekend off.
Jewell said: "It's nice for the lads to train and have a little bit of the pressure taken off them for a couple of days.
"We are working hard but it's a more relaxed environment because we've no game to play this weekend.
"As a manager you're always on tenterhooks when players go away to play internationals, and I'll be hoping they all come back unscathed.
"We have to cope with that, as do Newcastle who are the next opponents for us."