West Brom complete ‘phenomenal’ Torbjorn Heggem deal as Shilen Patel lays out transfer blueprint
West Brom have waved goodbye to a host of players at The Hawthorns this summer.
Torbjorn Heggem is a high-profile departure from West Brom, having been sold to Bologna for around £8.5million.
In his early days, Heggem came in for substantial praise at The Hawthorns and lived up to that in spades.
While his departure would have hurt some supporters, the deal has come in for significant praise from some quarters.
This story includes exclusive comment from football finance expert Dr Daniel Plumley.
Shilen Patel has clear recruitment model amid Torbjorn Heggem deal
Liam Hendrie believes West Brom made a mistake in selling Heggem, showing that the Norwegian’s sale is divisive.
Now, football finance expert Dan Plumley – speaking exclusively to West Brom News – has provided insight on the transfer, with a focus on chairman Shilen Patel.
“It’s a huge financial incentive, isn’t it, to do those kinds of deals, and the chairman’s been pretty open about that, hasn’t he, as well with the club,” he said.
“PSR is still there in the Championship, and you know they’re struggling to compete with the clubs, so they’ve now got parachute payments given the number of years they’ve been in that league.
“So you have to find a way, and they look like they’re potentially looking at this recruitment model, and if you can pick a player up for that reported £500,000 no one had ever heard of, and he has a brilliant season, and then you’re selling for near enough £8.5million, that’s a good deal whichever way you cut it.
“I know fans are always frustrated when good players leave, but you know that that’s a phenomenal piece of business financially, and if they are going to go down that road, you’ve got to bet those kinds of deals work for the club as well.
“And that one is a significant deal in terms of the numbers that we can see there.”
Read more: West Brom set to repeat Torbjorn Heggem transfer trick as new defender eyed
How will West Brom fare without Torbjorn Heggem?
Heggem started in Albion’s opening day victory over Blackburn Rovers, with the match ending in a 1-0 win.
Since then, the Baggies have failed to keep a clean sheet after defeating Wrexham 3-2 before being held in a 1-1 draw to Portsmouth.
On current evidence, it looks as if the 26-year-old will be a miss, although Nat Phillips and George Campbell are solid options.
The Norwegian was a commanding presence in the hub of West Brom’s backline and was a consistent performer while commanding in a duel.
Ryan Mason also has Krystian Bielik within his ranks, while Albion have also been credited with interest in Filip Beckman.
Only time will tell, but the Baggies are sure to miss a player of Heggem’s quality.
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