With the Africa Cup of Nations less than three months away, Cameroon's preparations for the continental showpiece appear to be inextricably linked with the interests of one of the Premier League's biggest institutions.
Two Indomitable Lions -- Carlos Baleba and André Onana -- are seeing their career fortunes fluctuate after associations with Manchester United.
A few months ago, the duo had appeared primed to become teammates at Old Trafford, with Brighton & Hove Albion's Baleba being heavily linked with a move to join Ruben Amorim and his Red Devils rebuild, while Onana still appeared to have a future with the 20-time English champions.
Fast forward to now, five games into the Premier League season, and while neither are currently playing for United, a case could be made that the pair's career trajectories are shifting -- or at least, in Baleba's case, are in danger of shifting -- in light of United's interest.
Did United transfer talk affect Baleba?
For one of the Prem's most exciting young talents, it's been a sluggish start to the season, with Baleba dropped from Fabian Hurzeler's starting lineup for the 2-1 defeat by Bournemouth on September 13, and then hauled off at halftime during this weekend's 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur.
It's not the first time that the 21-year-old has suffered this ignominy this season, having already been withdrawn at the break last month, during the 2-0 loss at Everton.
An ineffective display in the 2-1 defeat by Manchester City in August has compounded a tough start to the season, with the ex-LOSC Lille man showing little of the composure, tenacity and control that saw him linked with a £100 million to United during the offseason.
The midfielder could have little argument with Hurzeler's latest decision to withdraw him early against Spurs, even if Brighton held a 2-1 lead at the break after edging the first half. Almost 30 percent of the youngster's attempted passes failed to find their target during the first half, while Baleba's ball control saw him lose possession on several occasions.
For the Seagulls' German head coach, the midfielder's drop-off in form this campaign is directly correlated to the offseason transfer rumours linking him with a move away from the Amex Stadium.
"For sure, when a young boy reads there is interest from Manchester United with a big, big offer, it might affect him deep, deep down," the 32-year-old told reporters.
"That's also part of the development to understand that when you play well, there comes a big offer, there comes a big club who wants to have him.
"But then to keep pushing, to be humble, stay here in Brighton, and try to make the next step with the team and that's something we have to keep on working with him," he added.
"I can't give you a clear answer if it's really affected him or not, but for sure, he's a young boy and we need to understand he's not a machine that if you click on then he always runs and off then he stops.
"We need to understand his feelings, his emotions, where he comes from, and that's our responsibility."
Despite the midfielder's toil against Spurs, there were still signs of the excellence that have prompted United -- and latterly, Liverpool and Manchester City -- to reportedly show interest in him.
At one moment, for example, the midfielder collected the ball deep in the Brighton half, and nonchalantly swung a raking left-footed pass some 40 yards to set goalscorer Yankuba Minteh free down Brighton's right flank.
It was a glimpse of the rare talent he possesses, while United are clearly also attracted by his tackling, energy, physicality and ability to break the lines with ball at feet.
Hurzeler appears determined to work on Baleba's mentality and help him rediscover his form from last season, perhaps as he puts distance between himself and the pressure associated with United's interest.
Casemiro's struggles at United -- highlighted by the needless red card he received against Chelsea -- coupled with Kobbie Mainoo's impasse with management, and Manuel Ugarte's struggles to impress further emphasise United's need for a midfield remodelling, so expect Baleba's name to once again come back on the table in the transfer windows to come.
Take some advice from Onana!
Whether the youngster would be wise to throw himself head first into the maelstrom that is United remains to be seen, and one wonders whether, during international breaks with the Cameroon national team, the question of whether a move to the club is a wise move might be broached with veteran teammate Onana.
The 29-year-old goalkeeper knows only too well how a move to United might not be all it's made out to be, with his stock falling dramatically between his switch to the club in 2023 -- on the back of a Champions League final showing with Internazionale -- and his attempts to rebuild his career now.
That last error-strewn showing against lowly Grimsby Town in United's shock EFL Cup in August was the final straw for Onana at the club, and following the deadline-day arrival of Senne Lammens, the ex-Ajax man was put out of his misery when he was sent on loan to Trabzonspor.
At 29, and approaching his prime as a goalkeeper, this is certainly not where Onana would have ever expected to find himself at this stage of his career, and while a route back to United appears to be off the cards, he at least has the opportunity to restore his reputation.
When he signed for United, Onana was the third most expensive goalkeeper in the history of the sport. He departed, despite three years still outstanding on his contract, a figure of fun, of ridicule, emblematic of the club's astonishing decline in recent years, and with other players - notably Nemanja Matic in April this year - publicly mocking the keeper.
Trabzonspor, who finished seventh in the Super Lig last season, are also a fallen giant, and Onana learned the scale of the new challenge facing him immediately; failing to keep out an attempt from Morocco's Youssef En-Nesyri as his new club fell to a 1-0 defeat by Fenerbahce away in his debut.
It seems that Onana hadn't entirely left the momentary lapses or weak wrists behind him in Greater Manchester.
This weekend, he at least showcased the immense ball-playing ability that made him once one of the most watchable and influential goalkeepers in Europe. The keeper registered an assist for his new club when he carried the ball out of his box, into a deep right-hand channel, and sent a searching long ball forward for Nigeria's Paul Onuachu to register a 70th-minute equaliser in 1-1 draw with Gaziantep FK.
Baby steps, perhaps, but at least some of Onana's old swagger, confidence and sense of adventure -- all of which had appeared slowly squeezed out of him at Old Trafford -- were visible again as he began to enjoy life in Turkiye, making several key saves in the process.
He'll perhaps never enjoy the career trajectory for which he once seemed destined, but it's up to him to rediscover his form again consistently... and he wouldn't be the first to revive a flagging career after leaving the rotten chaos of United behind him.
Assuming United do move for Baleba again in the future -- as one would expect them to -- then the 21-year-old would be wise to assess the lay of the land, perhaps take some advice from his international teammate Onana, and to evaluate whether this grand old club truly represents an ideal environment for him to realise his immense potential.