Will Afcon shape transfer business around the world?

The ultimate goal for any given transfer window is to reach the deadline with collective ranks looking stronger than they did before the latest recruitment drive began.

In general, the pursuit of fresh faces will be driven by a desire to improve standards and address any supposed positional needs. For the most part, quality will be favored over quantity.

That is not always the case, though, and occasionally an additional spanner gets thrown into the works.

Attention

A 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐄𝐑𝐀 of African football. The TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Côte d’Ivoire 2023 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙮 is here! pic.twitter.com/sHMnfvn0Q2

— CAF (@CAF_Online) June 9, 2023

That is the case heading towards 2023-24, with there a mid-season Africa Cup of Nations to be factored into the equation by those looking to get extra bodies on board.

Said competition will attract plenty of attention from around the world, with a thrilling battle for continental glory set to unfold.

Superstars aplenty will be on show, with odds regarding potential winners set to shift dramatically before and during the tournament. A major event on Ivorian soil could also impact domestic competition across the globe, from the Premier League to La Liga, with leading clubs set to bid farewell to leading lights from their respective squads.

In markets where winners can appear nailed on, unwelcome change could impact proceedings. That is where the likes of FutFanatico come in handy, with advice and expertise on hand when it comes to keeping tabs on sites such as Betway and 22bet and unearthing value when there appears to be none – with +550 Senegal, +530 Cameroon and +700 Morocco currently leading outright betting odds several months before competitive action begins.

Many domestic sides will be keeping a close eye on those markets while looking to get ahead of the game now that another opportunity to add much-needed depth has presented itself. The requirements of some will be greater than the needs of others.

In England, for example, defending champions Manchester City are only likely to lose Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez, while Liverpool know what is required to contend with the departure of Egyptian king Mohamed Salah and Arsenal are working hard to bring in cover and/or an alternative to Ghana international midfielder Thomas Partey.

Elsewhere, the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich are not going to be hit particularly hard by a mass exodus of African aces. They may, however, be wary of acquiring talent from that part of the world.

Pep Guardiola and Co are meticulous in their planning and will not want anything to impact carefully constructed blueprints – especially events outside of their control, with there always the threat of players being returned to them from national team duty nursing unfortunate knocks or uncharacteristic dips in form.

Ambitious

Spending in 2022-23:

Chelsea: $666.7M
La Liga: $608.9M
Bundesliga: $604.1M

🙃 pic.twitter.com/6HNrfpt2QZ

— B/R Football (@brfootball) February 1, 2023

Big money will be spent by the most ambitious of outfits over the coming weeks, with it important to speculate in order to accumulate the major silverware that every team craves, but more thought will be given to a much bigger picture.

Clubs such as Nottingham Forest and those boasting plenty of African talent on their books need to ensure that they are not left short at the turn of another calendar year. They have been given plenty of prior warning, with there no room for excuses, but this is a window in which money cannot be thrown around with the same kind of reckless abandon as certain teams have grown accustomed to.