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The coronavirus pandemic made the summer transfer market unlike any before it, but there were still plenty of deals done, and you can check out the major ones here. The window might be closed across the top leagues in Europe, but here are the best rumours from around the globe.

Odegaard to assist Real with Haaland

Real Madrid are hoping that Martin Odegaard will help them in securing the signing of Erling Haaland, AS reports.

The two Norway internationals are believed to be close friends, with the hope being that Haaland will also be open to the pair linking up at the Bernabeu.

There is reportedly an agreement of sorts in place between Haaland’s agent and Real for the youngster to join Zinedine Zidane’s side in 2022, but if they want the Borussia Dortmund star any sooner, Odegaard could help in the recruiting.

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08.00 GMT: Manchester United chief Ed Woodward says he is “absolutely” behind manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer amid a poor start to the season that has seen the club slip to 14th in the table.

Victory at Everton before the international break gave the Norwegian some breathing space and Woodward insists he remains committed to keeping the 47-year-old in charge.

“While there is still hard work ahead to achieve greater consistency, we remain absolutely committed to the positive path we are on under Ole as the team continues to develop,” said Woodward, speaking as the club released their latest financial results.

“We miss playing in front of our fans and we are working hard together with our governing bodies and relevant authorities to ensure that fans can safely return as soon as possible.”

– Dawson: Solskjaer hanging tough at United

PAPER TALK (by Harry Kettle): Milan chase Milenkovic

AC Milan are contemplating a move to try and sign Fiorentina‘s Nikola Milenkovic, Calciomercato reports.

The Serbian defender has been with the club since back in 2017 but after their failure to lock him down to a new contract, Milan are hoping to swoop in for the 23-year-old.

He is currently valued at around €15 million, but if La Viola can’t come to some sort of arrangement with him by the January transfer window, they could well consider a sale — even if it’s to one of their league rivals.

Giroud to Inter in January?

Internazionale could pursue the signing of Olivier Giroud once again during the January transfer window, Calciomercato reports.

The Chelsea veteran looked set to join Antonio Conte in Milan back at the start of the year only for the proposed deal to fall through. Inter will come again in the early stages of 2021 as the Frenchman continues to struggle for game time under Frank Lampard.

Giroud himself is said to be the driving force behind the potential switch and at the age of 34, it could be one of his last chances of playing at a prominent European side.

Tap-ins

– Besiktas have confirmed that they would be interested in bringing Cenk Tousn back from Everton, beIN SPORTS reports. The Turkish club’s president has made it clear that Tosun, who was with Besiktas for four years before heading to Goodison Park, is a man they’d be interested in acquiring once again.

– Chelsea will need to sell a few notable players if they want to complete the signing of West Ham United star Declan Rice, Football Insider reports. The belief is that if the England international is to make the move over to Stamford Bridge, the Blues will have to free up some cash in order to finance the move. The players that the club is reportedly willing to listen to offers for are Antonio Rudiger, Jorginho and Marcos Alonso.