The January transfer window is notoriously tricky for buying clubs to manoeuvre in. Sure, willing teams may have the money to spend and financial wiggle room to squeeze some deals in, but their rivals may be less inclined to do business midway through the season with trophies and other honours still up for grabs.

Manchester City goal machine Erling Haaland has sent a message to Mohamed Salah after seeing the Liverpool ace score a late winner for Egypt in their AFCON win over Zimbabwe. The Liverpool forward took to social media after the game and posed with fellow goalscorer and Haaland's Manchester City team-mate Omar Marmoush, bringing a swift response from the striker.

The Africa Cup of Nations is back this December and January, with the continent's very best set to battle it out in Morocco as they aim to take Cote d'Ivoire's crown after their unlikely victory at the start of 2024. AFCON's prestige, drama and quality remains up there with the Euros and Copa America, but the downside for European clubs is it's another tournament which falls slap bang in the middle of their seasonal calendar, meaning most teams will be losing players for up to a month.

Premier League pair Liverpool and Manchester City are set to be embroiled in a club vs country row ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations later this year. The duo are expected to be without respective forwards Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush for the end of 2025 and start of 2026. However, both sides are unlikely to release their players for a pre-AFCON friendly in mid-December.

Rayan Cherki showed his class to inspire Manchester City to a come-from-behind 3-1 win at Swansea as Pep Guardiola's side booked their place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals. The French playmaker was City's top performer in an underwhelming display overall against the Championship side, who took the lead through a spectacular goal from Goncalo Franco.

Eintracht Frankfurt have earned a sterling reputation for developing players from the promising bracket to top-class and selling them on for significant profit in recent years, particularly in attacking positions. The German club made around €208 million (£181m/$242m) by transferring Luka Jovic, Sebastien Haller and Randal Kolo Muani to AC Milan, West Ham and Paris Saint-Germain, respectively, and boosted that total by another €170m (£148/$198) last season when two more talismanic performers caught the eye of Europe's elite.