Is this Wenger's last hurrah?

He is 67, in excellent physical condition and, as journalists who cover his news conferences will attest, as mentally sharp as ever. But this could be Arsene Wenger's final season at Arsenal. His contract expires in the summer and he finds himself in a position where success or failure would both seem to preempt departure. If he wins the title, what better time could he choose to bow out? If he does not, the patience of Arsenal supporters might finally elapse. It feels as if an era is about to end.

Time for a change at Barca?

Barcelona, after a few wobbles, closed out 2016 in a degree of style with four straight wins in all competitions. But the rumours about manager Luis Enrique's future have been swirling for some time. This is his third season at the helm and that's an eternity for a club like Barcelona. If he is to leave, who will replace him? Ronald Koeman? Juan Carlos Unzue? Or could there even be a spectacular career encore for one Wenger? The planet's football agents will watch developments in Catalonia with beady eyes.

African Nations Cup

There are two ways to look at the African Nations Cup: you can either bleat about it or you can enjoy it. And there's no point bleating about it. It will always be played in January because of the weather. It will always involve European-based players because lots of top-class African players play in Europe. So why not just enjoy it instead? Ivory Coast are the favourites. Algeria and Senegal, the second- and third-best teams in Africa, have ended up in the same group. It's perfectly proportioned; a simple four-by-four group stage with a straight knockout rather than the bloated, stagnant mess that was Euro 2016's first round. And it all starts in Gabon on Jan. 14.

Confederations Cup

And whoever wins the Africa Cup of Nations will also win a place at the 2017 Confederations Cup, the increasingly interesting warm-up vehicle for the World Cup. For the organisers, it's a chance to test transport links, practice security protocol and brutally shut down unauthorised merchandise sellers. For the rest of us, it's a nice little mini-tournament for the summer. Be careful of reading too much into what happens, though. In 2013, Brazil battered Spain in the final and Fred was the tournament's second-highest goalscorer.

Ballon d'Or

The rise to prominence of individual awards has been one of the more baffling trends of the 21st century. The Ballon d'Or and its various brothers were always considered an honour, but trinkets all the same in comparison to things like, you know, World Cups and things. Now the Ballon d'Or is something that is lobbied for by clubs and agents, it is the battleground for attritional PR wars between rival camps. And it is always won by Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. But for how much longer? Next year, Messi will be 30 and Ronaldo will be 32. They can't keep going forever. Will 2017 be the first year since 2007 that someone other than them wins?

China's emergence as a footballing power

The highest-paid players in the world are no longer in Europe. Carlos Tevez's brand-new deal with Shanghai Shenhua has confirmed China as a rising power in world football. Where will it stop? How many more players will be lured east in search of one final payday? You may mock, but it's worth remembering how England slowly transformed itself from primitive backwater to continental powerhouse. Once upon a time it was the Premier League that was considered a retirement home run by clubs with more money than sense. It will be fascinating to watch China's development in 2017.

Northwest dominance in MLS

After three MLS Cup wins in four years for LA Galaxy, the balance of power appears to have shifted right up the coastline. First the Portland Timbers, only established in 2009, lifted the trophy in 2015. Then the Seattle Sounders won their first title in 2016. Will this trend continue? Will the Washington-Oregon axis hold through 2017? Will the Vancouver Whitecaps make it a hat trick for the Pacific Northwest? OK, maybe not that last one. The new MLS season starts in March.

Can PSG be stopped?

After four years of domestic dominance, are PSG about to be dethroned? New manager Unai Emery was hired because the owners had grown weary of Laurent Blanc's failure to win the Champions League. Now it seems they may not even win the French League. Blanc must be enjoying this. Against all expectations, it's Mario Balotelli-infused Nice who lead the way and it's goal-happy Monaco who look the most dangerous. The Parisians have it all to do if they're to avoid embarrassment.

Are RB Leipzig showing a new way?

A heavy defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich has dampened expectations, but have RB Leipzig shown the way for other clubs to keep up with the establishment? Funded by the Red Bull drinks giant, they scout smartly and play attractively. And they're winning. Like the Pozzo family, of Udinese, Granada and Watford fame, they move their players across a network of clubs. And it's working. Granted, they are so unpopular in Germany that a severed bull's head was thrown towards the pitch in one of their games recently, but they are pushing hard for a Champions League place.