As another year draws to a close and clubs prepare for either a winter-break or a busy set of festive fixtures, it is time to take a step back and look at how players have grown in stature in 2017.
While Individual awards are well and good, they do not paint a full picture. The FIFA FIFPro XI turned out to be a popularity contest and did not reward certain players who deserved to be recognised.
Therefore, we look at the players that would constitute the Most Valuable XI of 2017.
Formation: 3-5-2. Data: TransferMarkt
Goalkeeper: David De Gea (Manchester United)
A number of goalkeepers are valued very highly in the market today and none more so than Manchester United's David De Gea. Just ask Real Madrid - who saw a deadline day deal for the Spaniard scuppered due to various technicalities.
The move hurt De Gea and he responded by extending his own contract at Old Trafford. Back then he was valued at €30m but the 27-year-old is now valued at €40m. But good luck submitting a bid that low to secure his services.
De Gea has proven time and again that he is arguably the best goalkeeper in the Premier League. His form is the primary reason Manchester United have conceded the least number of goals this season.
And his memorable performance against Arsenal at the Emirates will only make Real Madrid wish their fax machine had been up and running back in 2015.
Defender: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus / AC Milan)
The youngest of the other BBC (Barzagli-Bonucci-Chiellini) that formed the back-line of Italy and Juventus (until the end of last season), Leonardo Bonucci has had a topsy-turvy 2017. He almost accomplished a treble in 2016/17 with Juventus; winning his sixth consecutive Serie A title as well as the Coppa Italia.
However, they fell at the final hurdle in the Champions League, finishing runners-up to Real Madrid. Most clubs would give an arm to retain Bonucci but a falling-out with coach Massimiliano Allegri saw him sit out a few games before he eventually decided to pack his bags and leave for a new project with Serie A rivals AC Milan.
It hasn't been smooth sailing since but the transfer saw his market value rise up to €40m. The move also saw him become the most expensive player over the age of 30.
Defender: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)
Another defender whose market value is steady at €40m is Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos. The only thing keeping his value from going any higher is probably his discipline.
Yellow cards have become customary but the Spaniard recently saw a red card waved in his face for the 24th time in his career at the Santiago Bernabeu. 19 of those dismissals came in La Liga - a new record.
The fact that he is the captain makes it somewhat inexcusable but there have been occasions where he has been unlucky with harsh decisions going against him even when it isn't entirely his fault.
Nevertheless, there was no better leader to take over the duties of wearing the captain's armband after Iker Casillas' exit two years ago. And the 31-year-old looks all set to finish his career at Real - at least as long as he stays in Europe.
Defender: Gerard Pique (Barcelona)
Of course, Ramos' partner-in-crime for the national team joins him on this team as well. The two have never seen eye-to-eye when they play in El Clasicos and even their political leanings do vary - but that never comes in the way when they put on the fiery red colours of Spain.
Pique, too, has won everything there is to win in football for both club and country. Barcelona's decade of dominance came to an end after Real Madrid's recent rise but Pique remains ever-committed to helping Barca's cause.
He may have admitted that they are way behind Real after a spanking in the Spanish Super Cup but performances this season prove Barca are on the right track, in part thanks to Pique's leadership at the back.
The Catalan club only conceded one goal in the Champions League and seven in La Liga so far - both season bests. Pique has been at the heart of it all and aged 30, he too is valued at €40m.
Central Midfield: N'Golo Kante (Chelsea)
When Leicester City won the Premier League title against all odds, most of the adulation was understandably reserved for Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy. But N'Golo Kante did get his fair share of praise after a whirlwind of a season.
Which is why the Foxes struggled desperately to avoid getting relegated following his departure to Chelsea. And at Stamford Bridge, Kante upped his game several levels thanks to Antonio Conte's organisation and tactical changes.
The French midfielder deservedly walked away with the Player of the Year award - a recognition hardly ever given to defensive midfielders - after his peers recongised the difference when Chelsea played with and without him in the XI.
His disruptive influence is what is key to denying opponents a chance to build up play and also initiate Chelsea counter-attacks. Among all the signings Conte has made, convincing Kante to forego Champions League football to sign for the Blues will count as one of the biggest coups of his managerial career so far.
Kante is now valued at €50m but in this inflated transfer market, the 26-year-old is worth almost twice that.
Central Midfield: Sergio Busquets (Barcelona)
Barcelona's midfield general since the exit of Xavi has always been Sergio Busquets. As personnel around him changed, he remained the main constant and fulcrum of the side.
Buequets has never been as important as he is now to this Barcelona side. In every formation that the Catalan club have adopted this season, Busquets has always kept his place in central midfield.
Though he struggled early in the year under Luis Enrique's direct style of play, new boss Ernesto Valverde has once again made him the principal figure as they re-adopted a philosophy of keeping possession and circulating the ball.
Not many can pass the ball better in his position. His decision-making remains one of his strong suits and his ability to hold on to the ball or release it at the right moments is what makes Barcelona tick.
Busquets is valued at €60m but if one is to buy him, they will have to play his release clause which stands at a shade over €172m!
Attacking Midfield: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
One of Chelsea's biggest regrets must be letting go of Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian midfielder simply wasn't given a chance and he took it elsewhere and Manchester City pounced on him before anyone else had the chance.
Under Pep Guardiola, De Bruyne has elevated his game to become one of the most lethal midfielders in the Premier League and Europe. He finished last season with six goals and a whopping 18 assists in the league.
He already has four goals and eight assists in this campaign and we haven't even reached the halfway stage yet. Such has been his meteoric rise that he is now valued at €75m (in a realistic transfer market, of course).
Left Wing: Neymar (Barcelona / Paris Saint-Germain)
It's not easy to break Barcelona fans' hearts with a transfer away from the club and it is almost unheard of for a player who is at his peak. Why leave such a big club for another?
Well, Paris Saint-Germain knew which buttons to push and the likelihood of playing in Lionel Messi's shadow for years to come may have been the last straw for a star who was tired of playing second fiddle.
Neymar's move shattered not only the transfer record but also notions that clubs would never risk so much and splurge a nine-figure sum to sign a football player. Neymar may have cost PSG €222m but that was a release clause. In reality, he is valued at €150m.
And since his move, he has made Ligue 1 his personal playground - a practice pitch for the real deal which is the UEFA Champions League. That is the final frontier for a side that is used to winning domestic quadruples and they see Neymar as the man to help them achieve it.
Right Wing: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Lionel Messi may have let a 4-1 lead in the Ballon d'Or race slip as Cristiano Ronaldo made it 5-5 recently but he remains a player who continues to push himself to deliver when required.
MSN became a thing of the past following Neymar's departure and Luis Suarez's drop in form this season. It saw the burden fall on the Argentine's shoulders and he has carried his team to the top of the table in both La Liga and the Champions League this season.
Off the pitch, a storm was brewing at the Camp Nou regarding his contract extension. With a deal that was set to expire next summer, Messi would have been free to sign a pre-contract with another club in January.
However, Neymar's departure freed up the money required to pay his astronomical wages which amount to nearly €100,000 a day after you count his salary, image rights, signing-on bonus.
It allows the club to keep him at least until 2021 unless another club opts to pay the release clause like they did for Neymar. But the club have learned their lesson and increased Messi's release clause to €700m even though his market value is "only" €120m.
He took a beleaguered Argentina to the World Cup too in 2017. Whether they can repay him with a trophy this time after failing in 2014 remains to be seen.
Forward: Kylian Mbappe (AS Moncao / Paris Saint-Germain)
2017 has been a whirlwind year for young Kylian Mbappe who burst on to the scene at AS Monaco. He has scored goals by the dozen and led the Ligue 1 side to the Champions League semi-finals - becoming the only player to breach Juventus' defence in the knockout stages before Real Madrid in the final.
Almost every side from Arsenal to Real Madrid wanted his signature but nobody was willing to meet his wage demands until Paris Saint-Germain decided to bring him home - he is a Parisien after all.
"He's very talented, but is too young. I don't want to put him under pressure. But is in better shape than I was when I was his age." - Ronaldo
A "loan move" allowed PSG to circumvent Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations after they had spent the equivalent of the GDP of Chile on securing Neymar. Of course, they have the "option to buy" him for €180m next season - even though he is valued at half that price (€90m).
Nevertheless, he and Neymar have joined forces with Edinson Cavani to win that elusive Champions League crown for PSG. They have already set a new record after scoring 25 goals in the group stages.
Forward: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
UEFA Best Player in Europe, The Best FIFA Men's Player, and the Ballond'Or - Cristiano Ronaldo has won the holy treble of individual awards in 2017 and he couldn't be happier, especially after equaling Messi's haul of five Ballons 'Or.
Only two players have dominated a calendar year in such a manner in the modern era - Messi has done it a couple of times when Barcelona were at their peak and now so has Ronaldo with Real Madrid.
The fact that he has now renounced his role as a winger and gradually become a forward at Real suggests Zinedine Zidane would rather play The Goal Machine closer to goal where he is at his potent best.
There was a time nearly a decade ago when his £80m price tag seemed out of reach. He won't be in the top five next summer when Mbappe officially moves to PSG.
But there's no question about his place at the top of the game as he continues to set new records and benchmarks for club and country. And at 32, he is valued at €100m!
