Sutton United Football Club is delighted to confirm the permanent signing of Besart Topallaj, who returns to the U’s after spending the bulk of last season on loan at Gander Green Lane.
The Kosovo youth international left former club Bromley last week when he opted to mutually cancel his contract, having enjoyed a loan spell at Hartlepool United during the first half of the campaign, and will now once again offer energy and tenacity down the flank in SM1.
Progressing through the Millwall academy, Topallaj had captained the Under-21 side before earning a spot with the first team in training, and would gain his first taste of senior football when he joined Dagenham & Redbridge on a one-month loan deal in 2022, appearing once in a nine-goal thriller with Barnet.
He later returned to the National League again on loan when he joined Bromley, before the move was made permanent after just a month, and he went on to play 70 times for the Ravens, starting all but ten games in the club’s promotion-winning campaign to League Two.
The 23-year old then found himself linking up with Sutton for the first time in November 2024 after appearing just three times for Bromley in the fourth tier, and appeared 11 time in all competitions before seeing the move extended until the end of the season.
He continued to impress by adding a different dynamic on the left flank and topped off his positive run of form with his first goal on Boxing Day last year, capitalising on an error at the back to put Sutton in front against Barnet with 20 minutes to go, having ran the length of the pitch in order to get in the position to score.
After featuring 28 times in total for the U’s, Topallaj returned to the National League this term with a switch to Hartlepool United, where he continued to establish himself in the division with a further three goal contributions in 21 appearances, before seeing it cut short last week in order to facilitate his release from his parent club, and thus a permanent return to the VBS Community Stadium.
Upon his decision to rejoin the club, Topallaj said:
“It feels nice to be back home, two or three days ago I got the call that I could come in and it was a no brainer for me.
Last season was good – I still think we could have made play-offs – but overall I enjoyed it here.”
He will wear the number 39 shirt during his second spell in SM1, with last season’s number 33 now taken by Mehmet Halim.
Welcome back, Bes!
Photo Credit: Paul Loughlin
