AFCON FPL planning guide: How to make the most of your five free transfers

With 2025’s edition of the Africa Cup of Nations just around the corner, Fantasy Premier League managers will have to start planning for the implications.

AFCON always brings disruption, but this year, the impact seems to be bigger than previous years, with popular assets such as Mohamed Salah (£14.2m), Bryan Mbeumo (£8.5m), Iliman Ndiaye (£6.6m) and Ismaila Sarr (£6.7m) — to name a few — all expected to depart during the festive schedule.

However, for the first time, FPL managers have been handed a significant lifeline: five additional free transfers, granted ahead of Gameweek 16, specifically to help navigate the tournament.

It doesn’t eliminate the chaos, but it completely changes how we should approach the coming weeks.

This article breaks down which players are leaving, who won’t be affected, and, most importantly, how to use the bonus transfers to get ahead rather than simply survive.

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Why planning for AFCON starts now

The tournament arrives during the most congested part of the Premier League schedule and impacts a wider range of players than usual, including premium picks, mid-priced midfielders, and even budget enablers.

The crucial change this year is the five extra Gameweek 16 transfers, so here are a few tips to help you prepare…

Use your transfers before Gameweek 16

Your transfer total will automatically be topped up to five. If you go into the Gameweek 16 deadline with two transfers banked, for example, you will still go to five, not seven, so make sure none go to waste.

It’s safe to own AFCON-bound players for now

Players such as Salah, Mbeumo and Sarr are still strong options through Gameweek 14/15. It’s fine to hold these players for now, but buying them becomes tricky. It’s all team-dependent on how many AFCON-bound players you already have and free transfers available.

Stay on top of the schedule and developments

AFCON affects different teams at different times, and squads will update in real time. Here is a handy table of the AFCON schedule:

Not all AFCON absences hit simultaneously. The first fixtures begin between December 21 and December 24, but players can be called up early, depending on national team demands.

The actual tournament covers Gameweeks 17 to 22.

Some nations return earlier than others based on progression.

If a player is called up early, they can potentially miss up to eight gameweeks if their team reaches the final, so that could be from Gameweek 16 to 23.

Although the final is six days before Gameweek 23, celebrations and late returns could mean players miss out there, too.

If they exit the group stages, it could only be two gameweeks they miss, so a return as early as Gameweek 20 is possible.

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Which Premier League players are going to AFCON 2025?

Below is a list of the most FPL-relevant Premier League players expected to depart.

Their first AFCON fixture date is included, which helps gauge estimated departure timelines.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Leeds are the only three teams who don’t have any players leaving for AFCON.

Antoine Semenyo (£8.1m), Mohammed Kudus (£6.5m), Beto (£5.2m) and Yankuba Minteh (£6.0m) will not go to AFCON this year, as their respective countries failed to qualify.

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Don’t waste the transfers

Normally, AFCON feels like damage control, but this season, the five extra transfers allow managers to be a lot more tactful.

Although the five extra transfers for AFCON give managers more flexibility than usual, using them all immediately is likely not the best strategy.

Plan now and try to save transfers so you can gradually remove your AFCON-eligible players. This way, by the time you get your five free transfers, you don’t need to use them all to move them out.

If you burn through all your free transfers right at the start, you remove your ability to react as the situation evolves.

Having five transfers with a strong team is an extremely strong position to be in and allows you to pretty much react to anything without taking hits. Whether that be injured players or a structure change to your squad.

Saving some of these transfers will also inevitably help later on when you want the returning players back. Salah, Mbeumo, Sarr, and Ndiaye will no doubt be popular once they return, but managers who spent all their transfers early may struggle to bring them back without taking hits.

The extra transfers should be used to help you stay flexible, and using them all at once feels reactionary and reckless.

Treat them like a small reserve of moves you can dip into as needed, rather than a pot you empty immediately.

If you use them carefully, the AFCON period becomes an opportunity to get ahead of the field rather than simply minimise the damage.

Use the period to strengthen your squad, not simply react to absences.

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AFCON 2025 is set to be a defining stretch of the FPL season, and those managers who use the extra transfers most optimally will be the ones to profit.

The extra transfers give managers the flexibility to adapt, protect rank, and even gain ground.

The keys to success are simple:

• Plan early
• Use your transfers before GW16
• Track departure dates carefully
• Replace players strategically, not impulsively
• Save moves for bringing players back once they return and general squad maintenance.