Torbjorn Heggem’s new manager goes on hypocritical rant after West Brom deal – ‘It’s sheer madness’
Torbjorn Heggem’s recent move to Bologna could not have come at a worse time for West Brom.
The defender has been linked with an exit at The Hawthorns for a large part of the summer, but the Baggies would surely have felt that they were likely to escape unscathed by the time the new campaign came around.
Heggem completed his West Brom departure just one game into the new Championship season, as the B71 outfit were forced to work around the loss of a key player with just a few weeks of the transfer window remaining.
New boss Ryan Mason has overseen a bright start to 2025/26 without Heggem, but he would surely have been keen to have a player of the Norwegian’s quality still at his disposal.
Torbjorn Heggem at centre of hypocritical Vincenzo Italiano statements
West Brom moved quickly to sign Krystian Bielik as Heggem’s replacement, which does at least mean that they have now counteracted the numerical loss that the sale provided.
Heggem started all but one Championship game last term, and quickly cemented himself as one of the first names on the Baggies’ teamsheet.
The timing of his move could easily have left West Brom in a serious hole, and his new manager Vincenzo Italiano has now made statements that will infuriate Albion fans even more.
- Heggem played more league minutes than anyone else for Albion last term
- He failed to start in just a sole Championship game
- West Brom sold Heggem to Bologna for an initial fee of around £6.9million
The Bologna boss left Heggem on the bench for his side’s 1-0 defeat to Roma on Saturday, and he made a staggeringly hypocritical point in his post-match interview.
Italiano opted to start Jhon Lucumi at the heart of his defence, despite the Colombian pushing for a move to Sunderland, and he chose to bemoan the fact that the transfer market is still open after the exit-linked star made an error that cost his side.
“I think it’s sheer madness that the transfer window is open while Serie A matches are on,” Italiano told Sky Sport Italia.
“There are players who, in the morning of games, are on the phone to their agents trying to leave.
“There are months and months for clubs to get the teams sorted out and it ought to be done by now. Instead they will lose points because they have players who are not concentrated.”
Krystian Bielik saved West Brom from huge issue
Bielik’s arrival at The Hawthorns ensured that the Baggies escaped a hugely dangerous situation.
Mason had just three senior centre halves at his disposal prior to the Polish defender’s arrival, and that situation would surely not have played out well across the season as a whole.
West Brom can count themselves lucky to have got away with the loss of Heggem on this occasion, but they could easily have been left without a replacement given the proximity to the end of the window.
Italiano’s statements are arguably fair on the face of it, but the fact that he completely overlooked the fact that they put West Brom in a similar position is certainly bemusing.
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