If it isn't quite the business end of the season just yet, then it is certainly on the way, and you can bet that there are plenty of agents who are already making phone calls in order to determine where their clients will be turning up in 2016/17.

The remaining months of the campaign promise to be critical to the futures of several well-known stars from around the globe, but who are they and where will they be playing their football next season?

Here are 12 players for whom the next three months look pivotal.

Christian Benteke

Try to dress it up however you like, it just hasn't worked out for Christian Benteke at Liverpool, and it doesn't look like it ever will.

The Belgian forward has struggled to fit into Jurgen Klopp's system ever since the German replaced Brendan Rodgers—the man who signed Benteke from Aston Villa—and as one of Liverpool's more saleable assets, it looks as though he'll be on his way out in the summer to make way for more attacking reinforcements.

Where he ends up could depend on his performance over the next three months.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain recently made his 100th Premier League appearance for Arsenal, but he must surely feel as though he needs to make a little bit more of the next 100.

The young Englishman is clearly a fine player, but life on the fringes at the Emirates Stadium isn't forever. Oxlade-Chamberlain has to make the most of his undoubted talent with a move away to gain some more first-team football sooner rather than later.

Perhaps that switch will come in the summer.

Mauro Icardi

Linked with a move to Manchester United by the Guardian, Inter Milan forward Mauro Icardi will perhaps look to use the final three months of this season to show potential employers just what he can do.

The Argentinian has scored 11 goals this season but can sometimes seem a frustrating presence. That's something he'll need to iron out of his game if he is to reach the heights he's clearly capable of.

Memphis Depay

Once hailed as one of the men destined to take Manchester United to the next level when he signed from PSV Eindhoven in the summer, it just hasn't happened for Memphis Depay at Old Trafford.

The Dutchman will be wondering what is to become of his future at the club should his compatriot Louis van Gaal leave in the summer. Some good displays between now and the end of the season could well be needed in order to impress his prospective new boss.

Jesus Navas

Though he's been a firm favourite of Manuel Pellegrini's, the fact that Jesus Navas is Spanish probably won't be enough to convince Pep Guardiola that he's worthy of a place in Manchester City's squad next season.

Considering Guardiola prefers players who use the ball better, and given all the money available to him, there are sure to be plenty of names that he is considering bringing with him to the Etihad Stadium. So unless Navas significantly improves before Guardiola's arrival, he could soon find that he is surplus to requirements.

John Terry

Perhaps the most obvious example of a player playing for his future is Chelsea icon John Terry, who has announced that he will be leaving the club once his contract with the Blues expires in the summer, via the Guardian.

Plenty still believe he could stay, though, and so a few good displays between now and the end of the campaign might convince the Chelsea hierarchy to keep their longtime captain around, especially if that's what the supporters want them to do.

Fernando Torres

With his loan deal at Atletico Madrid coming to an end in the summer, it seems likely that Fernando Torres' return to his boyhood club isn't going to last much longer, especially given that the club will be looking to invest the huge fee they banked for Jackson Martinez on another forward.

On the surface, Torres seems a likely candidate for a lucrative switch to the Chinese Super League, but he might want to stay and play in Europe. If that's the case, he could do with a few impressive performances in the season's final weeks. 

Sadio Mane

As a long-term target for Manchester United, according to the Mirror, Southampton's Sadio Mane might feel as though an impressive finale to the season could secure him the transfer his talent deserves.

The Senegalese is a lively, effective presence, but he is perhaps a little too erratic at times. He'll have to cut that out of his game in order to secure a huge move.

Simon Mignolet

Simon Mignolet signed a new contract with Liverpool last month, but his Anfield future still seems to be in doubt as a series of high-profile errors have blotted his copybook.

Jurgen Klopp has been nothing but supportive of the Belgian ever since he took over the top job at Anfield last year, but he might need Mignolet to be more convincing than he has been recently to keep him on board as his No. 1 goalkeeper. 

Simone Zaza

Paulo Dybala and Alvaro Morata's impact at Juventus has made it difficult for Simone Zaza to get a look-in and regularly start matches.

There is little doubt of the 24-year-old's quality, but whether or not he will soon become frustrated with his situation remains to be seen.

A few goals between now and the end of the season might convince another club to make him their star forward this summer.

Mario Balotelli

As is always the case, it is a crucial time in the life and career of Mario Balotelli.

A loan move back to former club AC Milan simply hasn't worked out, and he looks set to return to Liverpool when that expires in the summer, even though he has little chance of ever playing a game for the Reds again.

A permanent move away looks to be the only option, but where will he go? Back to Italy? China? As ever with Balotelli, we just don't know what the future holds.

Alexandre Lacazette

Is this the summer that Alexandre Lacazette leaves Lyon? 

The French forward seemed set for a big move in the summer after a stellar 2014/15 season, but he stayed with Les Gones and has endured a somewhat up-and-down 2015/16.

A good end to the season, though, will remind people of the forward's quality and perhaps persuade a new club to bring him on board for the next campaign.