West Bromwich Albion are advancing in talks over a significant sale after receiving a huge, seven-figure bid over the weekend.
The Baggies remain in a slightly unsettled position financially and must sanction an exit or several to keep in line with the Championship’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR). Selling one player for a big profit would be sufficient and Albion look set to do just that.
Despite the fact that selling an important figure is likely to harm West Brom’s immediate chances of success, it is crucial for the club’s future. Some of the funds can be reinvested anyway, and it would be a big relief for everyone involved if the PSR storm subsided.
West Brom enters £10 million transfer departure talks
Albion are in talks with Bologna about defender Torbjorn Heggem, who the Italian Serie A club is eager to sign this summer. Our sister publication, the Express & Star, reported over the weekend that West Brom had received an initial proposal of around £10 million.
Birmingham World believes this information is correct, and discussions are currently moving forward on the actual pricing and payment method. Albion might benefit by almost £9.5 million after signing Heggem from Brommapojkarna for around £500,000 last summer.
Those cash would be instantly recorded on West Brom’s records, eliminating any suspicions about a PSR breach. Even if Albion use the £10 million raised to buy players, the cost of transfer fees is distributed over the duration of a player’s contract for PSR reasons.
It’s a no-brainer to sell Heggem for such a high price, but the seven-time Norwegian international’s departure will undoubtedly be felt. And hard. West Brom were a far superior defensive club last season with Heggem, and his flexibility to play at both centre-back and left-back kept Carlos Corberan and Tony Mowbray out of danger on numerous occasions.
Most people who have seen Heggem know he has an incredible talent. The 26-year-old is not only a towering presence in the box, but he also excels at reading situations and timing his challenges. The Norwegian’s passing out of the back was also impressive at times, as he beat the press and found teammates in midfield.
Although Heggem is 26 years old, which is often when defenders peak, there is a sense that he is far from finished. However, the centre-back has shown remarkable potential in the last 12 months and is sure to improve much more when he is exposed to higher-level football.
Moving to Serie A could help Heggem reach his full potential because he will be playing in one of Europe’s premier divisions. Bologna is also a solid squad, having qualified for the Champions League last season after finishing fifth in 2023/24. They subsequently followed it up by finishing tenth last season.
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