The Scout explains how managers in Fantasy Premier League will benefit from five free transfers ahead of the tournament starting in December.
Managers in Fantasy will be given extra free transfers in Gameweek 16 to help plan around this season’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The tournament, which involves players from 24 African countries, takes place midway through the Premier League season, starting on Sunday 21 December 2025 and finishing on Sunday 18 January 2026.
From a Fantasy perspective, the AFCON matches cover Gameweeks 17-22.
However, there is a possibility that some players will leave early for the tournament ahead of the Gameweek 16 fixtures.
To account for this scenario, your total number of free transfers in Fantasy will be topped up to the maximum possible number of five in Gameweek 16.
This will allow you to react if any members of your FPL squad do depart early, while also helping you avoid any potential price drops when rival managers sell the same players.
Strategically, in order to fully profit from the extra free transfers, managers would be wise to ensure they have ZERO free transfers in the bank by the end of Gameweek 15.
This would mean that, along with your usual free transfer for Gameweek 16, you would benefit from FOUR more of them.
By contrast, if you banked your free transfers in Gameweeks 14 and 15 and went into Gameweek 16 with three of them, you would only be given two extra for AFCON, and you would miss out on the other two that were available.
Salah heads big names set to feature
Liverpool and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah (14.5m) is the biggest name involved from a Fantasy perspective, but there are plenty of other clubs whose players will be departing to represent their countries.
Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo (£8.0m) and Yoane Wissa (£7.5m), and Manchester City’s Rayan Ait-Nouri (£6.0m) and Omar Marmoush (£8.5m), are also likely to be participating in the tournament, as well as the likes of Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson and Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr.
The extra transfers for AFCON can help you navigate the period up until the second Wildcard becomes available in Gameweek 20, which then allows you the opportunity to bring back the likes of Salah and Mbeumo when AFCON ends.