Ryan Mason suffers blow as West Brom receive ‘around £10m’ bid from Italian giants for ‘excellent’ star

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West Brom are heading into the new season with Ryan Mason at the helm, and he could be without a key figure by the end of the transfer window.

West Brom appointed Ryan Mason earlier this summer to lead the Baggies in the 2025/26 Championship campaign.

So far in the summer transfer window, the Hawthorns hierarchy have brought in some stellar recruits with the signings of centre-backs George Campbell and Nat Phillips as well as striker Aune Heggebo.

Recently, West Brom missed out on signing Mikey Moore on loan from Tottenham after his season-long loan at Rangers was confirmed.

Now, Mason is set to suffer another transfer blow, as one of his prized West Brom assets has become the subject of a near £10m bid from an Italian top flight side.

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West Brom receive near £10m bid from Bologna for Torbjorn Heggem

Departures from the Hawthorns so far this summer have largely concerned the exits of veteran trio Grady Diangana, Semi Ajayi and John Swift.

Ajayi signed for Hull City, Swift has moved to Portsmouth, and Diangana remains without a club.

Now, versatile Baggies defender Torbjorn Heggem could follow the trio out of the West Brom exit doors this summer, as Italian top flight side Bologna have entered negotiations for the Norwegian.

The Express and Star report that “Italian outfit Bologna are in negotiations with Albion for a move for defender Torbjorn Heggem worth in the region of £10million.

“A formal offer of around £10m has now been tabled and negotiations are ongoing.”

Heggem arrived at the Hawthorns as an unknown quantity in English football, after signing from Swedish outfit IF Brommapojkarna last summer in a deal worth just £500,000.

Heggem scored his first and only goal for West Brom in a 2-2 draw with Sheffield United, also registering two assists during the Baggies’ Championship campaign, which concluded in tenth.

Now, after 45 appearances in Albion colours, the 26-year-old could fetch West Brom a 20x profit on their investment.

Former Baggies boss Carlos Corberan, who signed Heggem under his tenure, heaped praise on the defender last season.

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Why former West Brom boss Carlos Corberan hailed Torbjorn Heggem

Heggem rapidly adapted to his first season in English football, showcasing his ability to operate capably both as a left-back and at centre-half, which saw Norway award him with his senior debut back in October.

In December, Corberan told the BBC: “His level of attention has been extraordinary from first moment.

“He arrived to pre-season without a holiday period. Probably [that] helped him to have more of the tempo.

“His mentality has been excellent, his open mind to take every single idea, and after his skills to move everything to the pitch.”

Just days after Corberan’s praise, Heggem scored his first goal for the Baggies against the Blades, which would prove to be his last if Bologna secure his signature.

Despite the blow of losing such a supreme talent, the healthy return on investment will significantly strengthen West Brom from a PSR perspective, given the almost £9.5m profit made on Heggem.

As EFL Analysis understands, West Brom were forecasted a low-spending summer. However, the sale of Heggem could help the Baggies’ recruitment team loosen the purse strings slightly before the window slams shut on September 1.