How Torbjorn Heggem is getting on in Serie A after leaving West Brom | OneFootball

FLW details how the Norwegian international has fared for Bologna since leaving The Hawthorns.

West Brom supporters would have been bitterly disappointed to see two high-profile players depart The Hawthorns over the course of the summer transfer window.

Due to ongoing financial issues that Shilen Patel has inherited from Guochuan Lai’s disastrous tenure, the Baggies have had to find a way of continuing to balance the books, with player sales crucial for this aim.

Academy graduate Tom Fellows waved a tearful goodbye to his boyhood club and completed a move to promotion rivals Southampton in a reported £8m deal.

Prior to the deadline day move, Norwegian defender Torbjorn Heggem also departed B71 after just one season at the club, moving to Italy and linking up at Bologna for a reported fee in the region of £10m.

It was an extraordinary profit for Albion to make inside just 12 months, after originally bringing him to England in the summer of 2024 from Swedish top-flight outfit Brommapojkarna for £500,000.

Under the regimes of Carlos Corberan, Tony Mowbray and interim boss James Morrison, Heggem played all but one game in that second-tier season, proving himself to be a valuable first-team asset and so influential to keeping the Albion backline resolute – particularly under Corberan.

After a stellar opening season in English football, it was no surprise to see bigger clubs being linked with securing his services, and this deal provided a much-needed boost to the coffers and helped the club have a busy end to the summer transfer window to aid Ryan Mason’s efforts at attempting to deliver promotion.

The Baggies now have a completely revamped backline due to the sale of Heggem, with the likes of George Campbell, Alfie Gilchrist, Chris Mepham, Nat Phillips and Charlie Taylor all arriving to help keep the Baggies defensively sound and limit the goals going in at the wrong end of the pitch.

Despite having to move on from Heggem, he did turn himself into a fan favourite in the blue and white stripes, and some supporters will still be keen to learn how he is doing in his early days in Italy.

And Football League World can tell you, detailing how Heggem has performed so far while at Bologna.

Torbjorn Heggem’s start to life at Bologna

Torbjorn Heggem signed a contract with Bologna until 2029, looking to help them build on their impressive ninth-placed finish last term, which also included a Coppa Italia triumph and gained them access to the Europa League.

In their opening weekend clash against Roma, the 26-year-old was named on the substitutes bench but remained unused by manager Vincenzo Italiano.

He would eventually start the following weekend and make his home debut against Como, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1-0 victory – their first three points of the campaign.

Three more consecutive starts have been recorded against AC Milan, Genoa, and Lecce, with the club taking four points from those games and currently sitting ninth in the Italian top-flight.

Meanwhile, ‘La Dotta’ started their Europa League journey last weekend, with Heggem making a familiar trip back to the West Midlands to take on Aston Villa at Villa Park.

But he was dropped back down to the bench and wasn’t called upon as his side fell to a 1-0 defeat, courtesy of John McGinn’s 13th minute strike.

Torbjorn Heggem looking to make a name for himself at Bologna

There is sure to have been some mixed feelings for Torbjorn Heggem since his move to Bologna.

On a positive note, he has arrived and cemented himself in the backline for Serie A duty, being trusted to play the majority of games and contributing massively to their positive start to the season.

However, part of his desire to move would have been the promise of European football, and he would have been disappointed to miss out on making his first-ever appearance in the competition and showing what he can do on a global stage, although he may get an opportunity in time.

However, it does appear Heggem is already showing the defensive qualities that Baggies fans loved so much in his short stay at the club, and it’s no surprise to see him thriving in one of Europe’s top leagues after being one of the standout figures in the Championship last term.