Besart Topallaj

Besart Topallaj returned to Sutton on a permanent basis in January 2026.

The Kosovo youth international left former club Bromley when he opted to mutually cancel his contract, before making the switch back to the U’s the following week after spending the bulk of the 2024/25 campaign on loan 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 in order to facilitate his release from his parent club, and thus a permanent return to the VBS Community Stadium.