While New Year's hangovers kick in across the globe tomorrow morning, it is back to serious business off the pitch for Europe's top clubs.
The January transfer window opens ajar with many deals expected between now and 11pm on February 2nd - although Barcelona cannot join the party this time.
But as always, some clubs will get very close to signing their desired targets before seeing rivals stealing a march amid other misfortunes.
That brings me to Arsene Wenger. The Arsenal manager has often been quite open about the elite players he has almost signed in the past.
And quite a few of those he missed out on were almost acquired in the key period when the Frenchman was on the verge of constructing a new team to follow in the Invincibles' hallowed footsteps.
That second team consisted of Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie, Samir Nasri, Tomas Rosicky and Bacary Sagna among so many other promising talents. And let's not forget future Ballon D'Or winner Nicklas Bendtner!
As we all know, that Arsenal generation promised so much and delivered so little under the shadow of a new stadium, internal frailties, yearly departures and the heavy spending of rivals like Chelsea.
But it is tantalising to imagine what that Gunners generation could have achieved had Wenger been able to push a couple of other deals over the line...
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo in 2005 ©INPHO/Donall Farmer
A world class talent for both Manchester United and Real Madrid over the last decade, the Portugal captain could easily have worn an Arsenal shirt. And it would have been the No 9.
While he was still at Sporting Lisbon in 2002, Ronaldo went on trial at Arsenal and with a deal potentially in the offing, Manchester United's then-assistant Carlos Quieroz intervened to take his compatriot to Old Trafford instead.
While Ronaldo was inconsistent early on and still developing into the goalscoring machine we know today, it would have been some sight to see the Ballon D'Or winner getting on the end of Cesc Fabregas passes as the years progressed.
Back in 2008, Wenger discussed one of the ones that got away.
"I showed him around and I gave him a shirt. It had got his name on the back. But in the end it was a question of the amount of transfer fee between the two clubs. Of course, he has proved to be a bargain. But the price that we discussed was in fact much lower, it was divided by three. Also Manchester United had a partnership agreement with Lisbon and Carlos Queiroz knew him well."
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
"Today, Wenger says it was a misunderstanding. But I didn’t like being asked to prove myself.
"I know I’m good enough. I don’t need to show it to you. Either you know who I am or you don’t.
"I remember being in Wenger’s office and you could tell he was the boss.
"But I don’t think I was so close. I went to Ajax the next day."
Zlatan Ibrahimovic in 2006 ©INPHO/Getty
Whatever the PSG striker told The Guardian, he still made it into Wenger's office and like Ronaldo, also got the gift of an Arsenal No 9 shirt.
#Zlatan à 19 ans avec le maillot d'#Arsenal lors d'un test que voulait lui faire faire #Wenger Zlatan avait refusé. pic.twitter.com/L46i0G3oHa
— Zlatan (@vie_de_zlatan) December 29, 2014
According to the Swede, he rejected the chance to join Arsenal in 2000 because Wenger wanted him to go on trial first and in Zlatan's own words: "No way, Zlatan doesn't do auditions."
But he did go on to say that "some other young players might have agreed to try out because this was the famous Arsenal team and this was Arsene Wenger" and if he had acquiesced there is a stronger chance that he would have become a Gunner.
Yaya Toure
The Manchester City midfielder's brother Kolo was already a key cog in Arsenal's back four when Yaya went on trial at the club in the summer of 2003.
While he put in an "average" performance in a pre-season friendly against Barnet, the main reason Wenger could not sign him was due to work permit issues.
Yaya Toure had a trial with Arsenal in 2003 but he failed to impress Arsene Wenger. #arsenal #gunners #afc pic.twitter.com/Kq7LSjgudf
— Football Photos (@photosofootball) November 26, 2014
Toure could not wait long enough and instead moved to Ukrainian side Metalurh Donetsk, the club who Ireland defender Darren O'Dea would later play for.
With hindsight we know that Toure has become one of the most powerful box-to-box midfielders in the game. But at the time, Wenger was unsure what his best position was, even though comparisons to Patrick Vieira already existed.
Indeed, at Barcelona he was a holding midfielder, who even played at centre-back in the 2009 Champions League final.
Petr Cech
Petr Cech on international duty in 2004 ©INPHO/Lorraine O'Sullivan
Until Wojciech Szczesny began to provide a relatively safe pair of hands, Arsenal had struggled to find a real successor to David Seaman and Jens Lehmann.
Petr Cech could have been that able successor but like Toure, work permit issues scuppered any potential deal.
When the long-time Chelsea No 1 (until Thibaut Courtois returned to Stamford Bridge) was still in his homeland with Sparta Prague in 2002, the Gunners took an interest.
Still 19 at the time, Cech admits the work permit issue was the main stumbling block to any move.
But three years ago he also added that "at the last minute I think the person who was the chief scout at Arsenal didn't think I was good enough for the English league. So in the end it didn't happen."
He would finally arrive in English football in 2004, moving from Rennes to Chelsea.
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