Aune Heggebo exit talk at West Brom dismissed as Baggies close in on double transfer | OneFootball

The club have been bolstering their attack this summer.

West Brom are already stealing a march on their Championship rivals as they look to build a deadlier front line in the summer transfer window.

The Baggies found goals hard to come by last term and finished the campaign with the fifth-worst attack in the second tier, with only Sheffield Wednesday, Oxford United, Charlton Athletic and Blackburn Rovers scoring fewer.

Aune Heggebo was Albion's top scorer, with 10 goals in all competitions, but James Morrison will be hoping his forwards can yield greater tallies next season.

The Black Country club have already signed Barney Stewart and agreed a deal for Jimmy Jay-Morgan, but could that lead to them moving on one of their star players?

West Brom not expected to sell Aune Heggebo despite arrivals

Albion know that if they do not get their summer recruitment right, then they could face another season fighting against relegation.

After poor form and a points' deduction, the Baggies were at genuine threat of being sucked into the drop zone, but they now have the opportunity to put things right with Morrison at the helm.

The club are clearly aware that their attack needs addressing and have made early moves by signing Stewart and agreeing a deal for Murphy, and with Josh Maja and Karlan Grant in contract talks, that could leave Albion with a surplus of forwards.

When asked if the imminent arrival of the pair could lead to his club cashing in on Heggebo, West Brom fan pundit Callum Burgess poured cold water on the idea.

"In short, no, I don't think that the arrival of Barney Stewart and pending signing of Jimmy Jay-Morgan would lead to Albion considering cashing in on Aune Heggebo," he told Football League World.

"We've let go of Daryl Dike, and we're still waiting to see what happens with Josh Maja and Karlan Grant, so that leaves Heggebo alongside Morgan and Stewart as our striker options up front, and there's no reason to consider selling Heggebo with those two to share the fight for places.

"And considering we want to play with two strikers, if that continues as it has with Morrison, then we'll probably want to sign one more striker on top of them."

Why Albion would be wise to hold on to Heggebo

Ten goals in his first season may not be an outstanding return by any stretch, but the Norwegian has shown plenty to suggest he can outscore that number next term.

In the Championship, the 24-year-old ranked highly among strikers in a range of metrics across shooting, possession, passing and even defending.

His most eye-catching statistics were his headed shots, with Heggebo ranking in the top four per cent of forwards for this metric, according to Futmob, while he also ranked in the top nine per cent for fouls won and duels won.

Since he arrived at The Hawthorns, his market value has also increased significantly, rising from £3.8million to £7.6m, so if the club were to sell, then they would yield a healthy profit.

It often takes players a season to settle into their surroundings, and while expectations of the Norwegian will be higher next term, he is well-placed to exceed last campaign's goal tally.