West Brom land highly-rated £4.7m striker
Albion have complete the £4.7million signing of striker Aune Heggebo from SK Brann.
The 23-year-old striker has agreed a five-year contract at The Hawthorns after leaving home city club Brann, from Bergen, where he came through the youth ranks.
He becomes the Baggies’ second new signing of the summer after the £1m move for Liverpool defender Nat Phillips.
Heggebo, who has scored 50 goals in 145 appearances for Brann, joins Josh Maja, Daryl Dike and Devante Cole as centre-forward options for Albion.
Albion sporting director Andrew Nestor confirmed adding firepower at the top of the pitch was a top priority for owners Bilkul and new head coach Ryan Mason this summer.
It is the biggest single fee paid by Bilkul for a player purchase since their takeover of the club
Nestor said: “Reinforcing our striker options was a top priority going into this summer, so we are pleased to have secured Aune’s signing.
“It’s advantageous to have completed this transfer now as it has allowed him to immediately join the team in Austria for our pre-season training camp.
“Aune is a young, mentally strong talent with the technical and physical attributes that we were seeking to add to the squad, as well as complementing our existing attacking options.”
Heggebo joins compatriot Torbjorn Heggem in The Hawthorns dressing room.
The striker landed in Vienna on Sunday afternoon after the club clubs agreed a deal before he made the journey south to join his new colleagues at the training base in Bad Tatzmannsdorf.
He passed a medical that evening and will join in training from Tuesday. He could feature as the Baggies play a friendly against Ukraine champions Dynamo Kyiv on Friday.
Heggebo admitted the lure of English football made him jump at the opportunity to make the switch.
“I feel very proud to get the chance to represent this club,” said the new recruit.
“I’d say I’m a hardworking player, and an offensive player who will create chances, score goals, and also help the team.
“In Norway, English football is really big. I was thinking that this is such a big opportunity, and when the move became possible, I was really excited.”
