Cardiff City are set for an interesting summer ahead, as Mick McCarthy looks to plan ahead for the upcoming 2021/22 campaign.
The Bluebirds struggled for a consistent run of positive results in the second-half of this year's campaign, which has ultimately seen them miss out on a top-six finish this term.
Cardiff finished eighth in the Championship table, in the 2020/21 season, and nine points adrift of the play-off positions.
Mick McCarthy has already acted swiftly ahead of the new season, with Mark Harris recently signing a new contract with the club until the summer of 2023.
There is room for improvements heading into the new league campaign though, as they look to challenge for a spot in the top-six in the Championship next term.
We take a look at TWO things Mick McCarthy needs to fix at Cardiff City before the new season kicks off in August.
Ciaron Brown's future
Brown has made 12 appearances for Cardiff City's first-team in total this season, having spent part of the 2020/21 season out on loan with Scottish side Livingston.
TEAMtalk have recently revealed that Scottish giants Celtic are rumoured to be interested in signing Brown this summer, with his contract with Cardiff City set to expire in the coming weeks.
He's a player that has shown he can make a positive impact with the Bluebirds, and you would imagine that Mick McCarthy will be looking at keeping the defender at the Cardiff City Stadium for the foreseeable future.
It remains to be seen as to whether an agreement has been reached as of yet though, and McCarthy will have to resolve his future as soon as possible. If his future lies elsewhere, then the Cardiff City boss will have to look at signing another defender ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.
Filling the void left by Harry Wilson
Wilson spent the 2020/21 season on loan with Cardiff City, with parent club Liverpool looking to find him regular minutes in senior football.
The Welshman made 38 appearances in total for the Bluebirds, and chipped in with seven goals and 12 assists in all competitions for Mick McCarthy's side.
But with Wilson returning to Liverpool after his loan spell, he'll leave a sizeable void in the Cardiff team heading into the 2021/22 season.
Wilson topped the list for Cardiff's assists this season, with Sheyi Ojo coming second on the list with seven assists to his name this term in the Championship.
It's important that McCarthy finds a player with the creative ability of Wilson heading into the new season, or they could find themselves struggling to create opening for the likes of James Collins and Kieffer Moore.