A new year is the time for new opportunities, new resolutions and the chance to reflect on what came before and do things better next time.
But in the footballing world, it is the time to get your agent on the phone, put yourself in the shop window and bag yourself a spanking new deal at a spanking new club.
A whopping 82 of the Premier League’s biggest stars see their current deals run out in the summer and, for these free agents, today really does mark a new dawn as they can now speak to foreign sides about a potential move.
It’s all down to the infamous Bosman ruling, which passed through the European Court of Justice in 1995 and allowed players within the EU to move to another team for free at the expiry of their contract.
While these stars will have to wait until June to negotiate with domestic teams, January brings the chance to chat with clubs abroad and sort their future ahead of time.
Of course, they can still turn around and put pen to paper on a new deal at their current club but, nonetheless, the turn of the year is a worrying time for Premier League sides, many of whom face losing some of their finest assets for zilch.
High-profile stars including Mohamed Salah could agree deals to leave for nothing in January
Stalwarts Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold could also agree to leave Liverpool
Manchester United are keen for a clearout but will not want Amad Diallo heading for the exit
Liverpool will be the tensest team in the league this January after negotiations with Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk all faltered, leaving them free to hold talks with the giants of European football over a potential move.
Salah confirmed that ‘nothing really [has] moved on’ regarding a new deal, after he shocked fans in November when he claimed he had not been contacted over a new contract.
The Egyptian has had another fine season for the Reds, scoring 20 and assisting 17 in 26 matches as Arne Slot’s men soared to the top of both the Premier League and the Champions League.
But Liverpool face the very real prospect of Salah taking his goalscoring prowess to another team next campaign with his contract expiring on June 30.
Alexander-Arnold, meanwhile, looks to be headed for the exit after reports in Spain suggested a ‘move to Real Madrid is almost complete’ and it also emerged that the right-back has not been listening to contract offers from the Reds.
He is likely to agree a deal with Los Blancos this month but will wait until the summer to move to the Bernabeu out of respect to his boyhood side.
Van Dijk is a slightly less certain case with the Dutchman offered a fresh deal earlier this month, but there was reportedly no breakthrough in negotiations with the 33-year-old.
Manchester United appear to be gearing up for a clearout under new boss Ruben Amorim, with the side stranded in 14th following a miserable first half of the season.
Tottenham captain Heung-Min Son could depart in the summer on a Bosman free transfer
Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin de Bruyne have 728 City games between them but could be off
Arsenal’s midfield concerns could come to a head if Thomas Partey and Jorginho both leave
Everton have nine players with deals up in June including Abdoulaye Doucoure (on the floor)
Amad Diallo has been a rare shining light for the Red Devils this campaign, scoring a sensational winner in the Manchester derby against City, and the Old Trafford outfit will be keen to trigger their one-year extension option for the Ivorian.
Tom Heaton, Victor Lindelof, Christian Eriksen and Jonny Evans all look likely to leave but United might consider exercising their one-year option for Harry Maguire, given the wealth of experience he possesses.
Tottenham face losing talisman Heung-Min Son and receiving not a single penny in return this summer as his deal expires in June.
Ange Postecoglou will be grateful they an extension clause for 12 months in his contract but will be looking to tie down the South Korean, who has bagged 169 goals in 430 matches for Spurs, on a longer deal.
Manchester City’s woes this season have been well documented, with Pep Guardiola’s men slumping to sixth and even going seven matches without a win at one point.
Things could get worse in the summer, with club legend Kevin de Bruyne now free to talk to foreign clubs and Ilkay Gundogan set to leave the Etihad for the second time unless the side trigger a one-year option on his contract.
Arsenal, meanwhile, face a midfield exodus as Thomas Partey, who has been a mainstay this campaign, and Jorginho are both out of a deal in June.
Relegation-battling Everton are among the worst-hit clubs in the league, with the Toffees possessing eight stars whose contracts run out in the summer.
Jamie Vardy might call time on a 12-year stint at Leicester with his deal expiring in the summer
Chris Wood has bagged 11 goals this campaign but is free to talk to foreign sides this month
West Ham are likely to extend Michail Antonio’s contract following his car crash last month
Chelsea are lucky enough to have just one player with a deal expiring so they can relax
They have an option to extend Abdoulaye Doucoure’s deal but the likes of veteran Seamus Coleman, Idrissa Gueye, Michael Keane and star striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin are all able to talk with clubs abroad from today onwards.
Similarly, Newcastle have eight players lingering perilously close to the exit, including Swiss defender Fabian Schar and Callum Wilson, who has an extension clause.
Jamie Vardy has been at Leicester since 2012, lifting the Premier League with the Foxes in 2016, but his stint at the King Power Stadium could be about to come to an end with his contract up in June.
Surprise package Nottingham Forest have shot to second in the table at the halfway mark and, however the rest of the season pans out, will have a battle on their hands to keep hold of the star men at the heart of their phenomenal run.
Worryingly for Nuno Espirito Santo, Ola Aina and Chris Wood could both be headed for the door in the summer and both are now free to chat with foreign sides.
At West Ham, Michail Antonio’s contract is up in June but is likely to be handed a new deal after a shocking car crash left him out for the season.
Wolves look resurgent under new manager Vitor Pereira but will be desperate to hold on to dependable right-back Nelson Semedo, as well as Mario Lemina, who was club captain at the start of the season before relinquishing the armband to his Portuguese team-mate.
Chelsea and Bournemouth are two sides who can relax this window, with only Lucas Bergstrom nearing the end of his Blues deal and not a single player a Bournemouth whose contract runs out this summer.
