How Torbjorn Heggem is getting on in Italy since leaving West Brom | OneFootball

FLW looks at how Torbjorn Heggem has performed for Bologna since departing The Hawthorns last summer.

West Brom supporters would have been bitterly disappointed to see Torbjorn Heggem depart The Hawthorns last summer.

Due to ongoing financial issues that controlling shareholder 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.

Because of this, Albion sanctioned Heggem a move to Italy, where he linked up with Bologna for a reported fee in the region of £10m.

It was an extraordinary profit for Albion to make inside 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 at the time, with Albion having a busy end to the summer transfer window under Ryan Mason.

But with their sole objective now to avoid the League One trapdoor under Eric Ramsay, those connected to the Baggies may be thinking that they wouldn't have been in this situation if Heggem remained in the Black Country, with the Norwegian offering a calming but hard-working presence in the heart of defence.

Despite only lasting a season in B71, Heggem 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 over in Italy.

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

Torbjorn Heggem’s time at Bologna so far

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.

Apart from a separate benching against Torino on matchday nine, Heggem has started every other league game for the club, operating strictly in central defense and playing a starring role in the club competing for yet another season of European football, with the club currently positioned eighth in the Serie A standings after 25 league games.

The Norwegian international did receive his marching orders on matchday 17 against Sassuolo with a red card, serving a one-match suspension, while the defender currently battles a bout of muscle fatigue, which ruled him out of their return and most recent league fixture against Torino, where Bologna edged to a 2-1 victory.

In domestic competitions, Heggem has been just as involved as he has been in Serie A. Heggem featured in five of Bologna’s eight outings in the Europa League, with the Italian outfit finishing 10th in the table and undergoing a play-off against SK Brann for a place in the knockout phase.

Heggem helped Bologna on their way to the final of the Italian Super Cup too, defeating Inter Milan in the semi-finals on penalties, although he couldn’t prevent his side going down in the final against Napoli, playing 90 minutes in a 2-0 defeat.

Meanwhile, Bologna would be unable to replicate their success in the Coppa Italia. Heggem did feature throughout their 2-1 win over Parma in the Round of 16, but he missed out on their quarter-final clash with Lazio, with the team missing his leadership at the back as they were knocked out in a penalty shootout.

Overall, Heggem has played 29 times for Bologna since his arrival from Albion, still on the lookout for his first goal, but offering a commanding presence in his defensive duties.

Torbjorn Heggem’s ability to instantly step up to the challenge of playing in the Italian top-flight is a testament to the quality he possesses, with Albion so fortunate to have had him in their backline at Championship level, even for just a season.

He’s been trusted to play the majority of games for Bologna in every competition and has contributed to a largely successful season so far. While they haven’t managed to claim any silverware during this campaign, their sights will still be firmly set on achieving Champions League football, which would be a big achievement so early into Heggem’s career.

Although West Brom fans will have been left disappointed that they had to part ways with such a talent, there was no guarantee that Heggem would have remained at Albion even without their financial difficulties, with Bologna clearly a bigger gateway to playing at the very top level over staying put at The Hawthorns.

And even with this challenge, he looks to be taking it in his stride, already showing the defensive qualities that Baggies fans loved him so much for in his short stay.

Therefore, it’s no surprise to see him thriving in a major European league, with his standout performances in the Championship last term proving he has what it takes to go right to the very top of the game.