Now we know where Carlos will be looking to strengthen

THE publication of the Terriers’ retained list has given us a clearer idea of what the club’s intentions are ahead of what is sure to be a busy summer of recruitment.

Huddersfield Town would have needed to rebuild the defence even if their existing options had been under more long-term contracts. A record of 71 goals conceded this season on top of the 70 they shipped last year makes clear that they are a long way short of where they need to be at the back.

Despite the sadness of Christopher Schindler’s exit, his departure alongside Richard

Stearman and Tommy Elphick and Richard Keogh’s apparent transition towards more of an off-the-field role offers them the opportunity to build a new-look defence.

Whoever comes in needs to be capable of keeping the ball out of the net, but also better able to build the play from the back as Carlos Corberan wants.

Those two things can be one and the same, of course, Town have shipped a huge number of goals this season because of individual errors in possession.

Assuming both can be kept at the club this summer, they have the beginnings of a capable back line in full-back duo Pipa and Harry Toffolo.

Losing the full-backs to injury this season made clear that Town would need more reliable back-up next season, even if Jaden Brown and Demeaco Duhaney had stayed, and their departures make that even more pressing.

Sort that out, and further addition of one or two more calm and capable centre-backs to either displace or play alongside the erratic Naby Sarr and talented but inexperienced Rarmani Edmonds-Green could suddenly make the back four into one of Town’s strengths.

Romoney Crichlow is on the retained list and negotiations are ongoing for Keogh to remain at the club in a player/mentor role, but it’s hard to imagine either are intended as much more than back-ups and at least one more first-choice defender should remain at the top of Town’s priority list this summer.

We’re sure fans will not be overjoyed at the news Keogh is likely to stay on, but there is merit in keeping an experienced head at the club - as long as that’s the primary purpose of his new deal.

Respectfully, if he starts more than a couple of games again next season, something has gone badly wrong.

There were already questions marks over the goalkeeping situation

the after Ryan Schofield’s up and down season, and while Joel Pereira’s departure back to Manchester United was to be expected, losing fellow deputy Jayson Leutwiler too makes Schofield’s position even more unclear.

Many fans are adamant they want to see someone brought in ahead of Schofield, and while we’re personally not totally convinced that should be near the top of Town’s agenda, those two departures leave space for a first or strong second-choice keeper to come in and at the very least challenge Schofield.

Either way, it’s always oversimplistic to put defensive issues down to the back four and goalkeeper alone, and it’s also clear Town need to significantly strengthen their midfield this summer.

In Jonathan Hogg and Lewis O’Brien they have had two reliable parts but have consistently struggled to look like a cohesive unit, especially after Carel Eiting’s injury.

Even if they were to hold on to O’Brien in the face of plenty of Premier League suitors, they are short of another composed midfielder player who can make a difference at both ends of the pitch.

Alex Pritchard was never the answer to that, so it’s not surprising he has gone.

More than a few eyebrows will be raised at the news Bacuna is one of the handful of players to be

kept on