On the back of the popular season ticket pricing scheme and the injection of life and optimism brought into the club by David Wagner, the summer transfer window is potentially season defining.

The Past

It has been seen summer upon summer, Huddersfield Town having the spine of their side dismantled and sold, and a rebuilding process that disrupts the first third of the season as the side re-gels.

This was seen by the departure of Jacob Butterfield, Conor Coady, and Alex Smithies all within a short space of time last summer which Chris Powell argues undermined any progress he could make with the side. Before that, Jordan Rhodes and Adam Clayton, both left and are both now in the Premier League with Middlesbrough.

Although no blame can be laid at the feet of Dean Hoyle and the club's hierarchy when it emerged that a number of these players forced the club to sell them, Huddersfield developed a reputation as a selling club.

In previous years, this would have little effect under uninspiring managers whose target was to survive relegation even if it led to stagnation of the club on the field.

A Change in mindset

This summer feels different as Dean Hoyle's brave choice to bring in the vastly inexperienced David Wagner seems to have paid off and despite Huddersfield Town's 19th placed finish, for many onlookers, it appears to be a false position.

The charismatic German who shares a number of characteristics with his close friend Jurgen Klopp has revolutionised the side on the field and it appears apparent that he has had a big impact in a short amount of time.

All the while, Wagner managed to have this success with a side that he had inherited and he shaped his philosophy to suit the current players that were at his disposal.

This summer, there is true optimism amongst the fans of what they could achieve. The fans are believing beyond consolidation of their Championship status and even beyond mid-table security.

However the success or subsequent failure of Huddersfield Town's season could be decided well before a ball is even kicked.

The Future

As Nahki Wells begins to attract interest after an impressive season and Philip Billing attracts attention from the Premier League, it seems Huddersfield's resolve will be tested again this summer.

There are two potential routes that Dean Hoyle and Huddersfield Town could take this summer. They could cash in on their talents and look to rebuild the side once again.

However, it would go against the club's new mantra, with Huddersfield having no reason to sell from a financial perspective, selling the club's greatest assets would quickly flatten the atmosphere and dilute the optimism currently surrounding the club.

Instead, Dean Hoyle may continue his new line of thinking and take a different route. Rather than sell Nahki Wells, he may ward off any interest and instead look to build on the current side.

Under David Wagner with the right backing and the right players to fit his philosophy, Huddersfield could be the surprise packages of the season.

The Problem

The main problem facing Huddersfield is that the side is built on a combination of loans, free transfers, and young talented players from the lower leagues.

The main issue of loan players such as Emyr Huws and Jamie Paterson is that their superb performances attract the attention of other Championship sides and there is no guarantee that Huddersfield can secure their services long term.

Even more significant is the abandonment of the emergency loan rule which for teams such as Huddersfield Town that regularly use the emergency loan system is a big blow.

Although this combination is effective for survival in the Championship for anything more than that, it is not enough. There has to be a financial commitment from Dean Hoyle and the hierarchy to push Huddersfield to the next level.

Even more so with David Wagner who is a firm believer in using his squad and rotating which means that Huddersfield needs to move away from a small tight knit group of players and develop strength and depth in the entire squad.

Wagner has begun to address this with the arrival of Chris Lowe and Michael Hefele from Germany providing some depth in the defensive positions, however, Huddersfield remains realistically 6 or 7 players short to bring in over the summer.

Whether or not Huddersfield will be able to do that and provide Wagner with a squad that is capable of playing his philosophy for the marathon 46 game season, is yet to be seen.

Ultimately, if Huddersfield Town has a successful summer transfer window and significantly strengthen the squad, they could be the surprise package next season. However if they fall into their old mindset, it could be another season of struggle and looking over their shoulders.

Huddersfield Town fans, how do you feel about this summer? Which areas do you think needs addressing? Do you think this summer could be the summer Hoyle shows his ambition? What can Huddersfield realistically achieve next season? Let us hear your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below!