Brann has completed a transfer sale and a loan deal this week. Defender Denzel De Roeve has been sold to Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise, according to VG, while young Cheikh Mbacke Diop has been loaned to Aalesund for the rest of the season.
The club currently sits fifth in the Eliteserien with 26 points from 18 matches. The team drew 0-0 with Sandefjord in their last outing and faces a key home match against Lillestrøm on Saturday. You can check the full schedule on our fixtures page.
Who replaces Denzel De Roeve at Brann?
Brann has already secured a replacement for the departed right-back. Leo Cornic joined the club from Tromsø concurrently with the announcement of De Roeve's sale. Cornic has signed a contract that runs until the end of the 2030 season.
Denzel De Roeve leaves Brann after a year and a half at the club. The 22-year-old Belgian was signed from Club Brugge ahead of the 2025 season and quickly established himself as a key player. In his debut Norwegian season, he contributed four goals and three assists across 49 appearances.
Why is Brann loaning out Cheikh Mbacke Diop?
According to a statement from Brann's sporting director Per-Ove Ludvigsen, the loan is intended to give Diop more playing time. The 20-year-old midfielder has only featured in five matches for Brann's first team since arriving from Croatian football this year.
"We have chosen to loan out Cheikh so he gets the opportunity to play more regularly in the Eliteserien than he has done here with us," said Ludvigsen. He hopes Diop develops well at Aalesund and returns to Brann next year. The player could be in Aalesund's squad for their match against Viking on Sunday.
How does Aalesund's win affect the Toppserien title race?
In the women's Toppserien, Aalesund kept pressure on league leaders Brann with a 1-0 win over Hønefoss on Monday. According to NRK Sport, the league's top scorer Katarina Dybvik Sunde netted the only goal in the 51st minute. It was her 20th league goal this season.
Sunde now has twice as many goals as her nearest competitor on the scoring chart, Brann's Brenna Lovera. The victory means Aalesund remains just four points behind Brann in the table. Brann's women's team must therefore maintain focus to hold onto their lead.
Brann has scored 36 goals and conceded 27 in 18 Eliteserien games, giving them a goal difference of plus nine. The team is 18 points behind league leaders Bodø/Glimt. Three players are currently sidelined: Jonas Torsvik, Sakarias Opsahl, and Sævar Atli Magnússon. The updated injuries list provides an overview of player status.
Brann's next task is the home match against Lillestrøm on September 5th. The opponent sits in sixth place, just one point behind Brann in the standings. See the current table position on our standings page.
