Senegal defender Cheikh Mbacke Diop switches to Aalesunds FK on loan

Senegal centre-back Cheikh Mbacke Diop has joined Aalesunds FK on loan from fellow Norwegian club SK Brann, completing a move that will keep him at the Eliteserien side until 31 December 2026.

The 20-year-old defender moved to Aalesunds on 28 August and will remain with the club for the rest of the calendar year. The agreement includes a scheduled return to Brann at the end of the loan.

Diop arrives having made four senior appearances for Brann during the 2026 campaign. He has featured three times in the Eliteserien and once in the UEFA Conference League qualifying rounds, recording 134 league minutes and 14 minutes in European competition.

He has also played twice in the Norsk Tipping-Ligaen avdeling 3, where he has accumulated 142 minutes. Across those appearances, the right-footed defender has not scored or recorded an assist.

A 1.92m centre-back, Diop joined Brann from Croatian club NK Lokomotiva on 30 March 2026 in a €2.5m transfer. His move to Aalesunds therefore represents his second club switch of the year and keeps him in Norway’s top flight.

Diop had previously joined Lokomotiva from Laberia in September 2024, having begun his senior club career with Wally Daan. He was born in Mont Rolland and represents Senegal.

His arrival gives Aalesunds a defender with experience of domestic league football, European qualifying and lower-tier competition before the end of the 2026 season. The move also places Diop at a club competing in the same Eliteserien division as his parent side.

Aalesunds currently hold the defender’s registration on a temporary basis, with his contract at Brann due to resume when the loan expires on 31 December. The transfer is a loan move from SK Brann to Aalesunds FK, completed on 28 August 2026.