With the play-offs now mathematically out of reach, Cardiff City can firmly start to plan for the summer transfer window.

The Bluebirds now know for a fact they will be playing Championship football next season, which they can begin to mould a side they believe will be able to take them back to the Premier League next season.

That of course means that while some players will likely arrive at the club, others will probably have to move on from the Welsh capital, in order to make room for those new recruits.

One player who it seems Cardiff ought to be trying to keep in the Welsh capital for next season though, is Joe Bennett.

As things stand, the left-back is currently set to be out of contract at the end of this season, which could soon pose something of a problem for Cardiff.

Right now, Bennett is the club's only established natural option in the left full-back role, with back-up for him in that position currently offered by 19-year-old Joel Bagan, who so far has just 14 senior appearances to his name.

Consequentially, it does seem as though Cardiff need to secure a deal for Bennett quickly to retain the certainty of his presence on the left-hand side of their defence, although there is a chance that could soon be easier said than done, judging by events back at the start of the season.

It was reported back at the end of the last summer transfer window, that Watford were taking an interest in a move for Bennett, and while that ultimately did not materialise, it could make sense for the Hornets to try again this time around.

While Adam Masina has been a generally reliable first-choice at left-back this season, Achraf Lazaar has failed to really impress since arriving as his understudy, meaning it may be difficult for the latter to secure a new deal when his short term contract at the club expires this summer.

That could therefore force Watford back into the market for some extra cover for Masina, and given Bennett's past Premier League experience, not to mention the fact he is set to be available on a free in just a few weeks time, could make him an attractive option to fill that role for the Hornets.

If that does prove to be the case, then it may be important for Cardiff to secure that new deal for Bennett before any potential interest from Vicarage Road re-emerges, something which could make it harder for the Bluebirds to secure a deal for the 31-year-old, given the top-flight football that would now almost certainly be on offer to him if he was to join Watford.

Indeed, securing a new contract for Bennett would also ensure that, were Cardiff to find themselves in a position where they could not avoid losing the left-back this summer, they would at least receive a fee for him, that they could then use to go out and find what would be a much-needed replacement.

Earlier this year, reports had claimed that Cardiff had opened talks with Bennett about a new deal to keep him in the Welsh, although no deal has yet been announced.

But with focus now starting to slowly turn to the summer transfer and season beyond that, it appears this could be a rather good time for Cardiff to change all that, for a number of reasons.