West Brom must beat QPR to sign Heggebo’s 16-goal development

It has now been five consecutive seasons since West Bromwich Albion last competed in the Premier League.

The Baggies regularly find themselves in the promotion bracket, with Carlos Corberan almost guiding the West Midlands club back to the promised land of the top flight when they finish out of the Championship play-offs in 2024.

However, since the Spaniard’s departure, West Brom have been staring down the bottom of the Championship, instead of dreaming of the top flight, survival was almost certainly achieved last season under the interim management of James Morrison.

Now that he has been handed the reins on a permanent basis, Morrison will be aiming to be the manager who finally puts the Baggies back on the map in terms of promotion, and will be desperate for some attacking reinforcements this summer to help him in this difficult task.

West Brom’s striker problems

Albion find themselves in the limelight at the moment with Daryl Dike set to leave the Hawthorns at the end of his contract.

Indeed, the injury-plagued striker has finally been put out of his misery, having made just 25 starts in his entire Baggies career, despite staying in the club for five years.

He had a few goals here and there, with 11 in 68 games, but his injury demons led to his release.

With Josh Maja also suffering from long spells in the treatment room, it makes sense that West Brom are prioritizing the signing of a new striker, and Aune Heggebo is also not a reliable source of goals.

A £4.75m signing from Brann last summer, the Nordic striker bowed out in his first season in England with ten goals in 48 appearances. These numbers don’t tell the full story, however, as Heggebo has scored just one league strike as the calendar turns to 2026.

He has been hailed as a workhorse for West Brom, however, with EFL pundit Sam Parkin hailing him as “a real handful” of defenders to keep an eye on.

Next, Morrison is likely to use the hard-working Scandinavian next season, but the Baggies could make a big move for the 24-year-old.

West Brom must beat QPR to promote Heggebo

EFL correspondent Pete O’Rourke has reported that both West Brom and Queens Park Rangers are battling to sign Bamba Dieng this summer, with the Lorient striker set to become a free agent soon.

While Heggebo was often the victim of barren form last season, Dieng stood out during the campaign for Olivier Pantaloni’s men as a consistent goalscorer, with the Senegal international netting 16 goals in just 26 appearances in all competitions.

With fewer big chances missed than Heggebo, and, with just ten of the Norwegian’s 14 in the Championship, Dieng shouldn’t be too nervous as he tries to adapt to the Championship, having scored 11 goals for former employers Marseille near the top of Ligue 1.

He could be just the spark West Brom need to return to promotion with confidence, as the 26-year-old is “very fast” – as noted by former manager Jean-Pierre Papin – who could terrorize second-tier defences.

One free transfer, it feels like a no-brainer to try and get Dieng, West Brom have struck gold in the free transfer market with Maja, who has become a mainstay in the Midlands.

In addition, as Heggebo appears to be a strong player, Morrison can find the perfect combination of strikers to defend the Senegalese player, and his lightning-quick speed, and his ability to reverse chances for fun, certainly make him hit the Hawthorns with a quick run if he can hit the ground.