"Since Aaron Mooy" - Huddersfield Town: Key area of improvement identified for summer transfer window | OneFootball

FLW's Huddersfield Town pundit gives his take on what sort of rebuild the Terriers will need this summer.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Huddersfield Town's 2024-25 season isn't going exactly to plan, with the Terriers struggling to hit the heights expected of them.

For many, outside of Birmingham City, they were one of the automatic promotion favourites, and it seemed they were well on track when they saw off Wycombe Wanderers in January to make it 15 games unbeaten.

However, a series of disappointing results, injuries, and struggles in front of goal have seen them drawn into a battle for a play-off spot, with it still uncertain whether they have the necessary quality to secure promotion.

Nonetheless, if they are in the top six come May, there will be high expectations at the John Smith's Stadium for them to clinch a visit to Wembley and make an immediate return to the Championship.

That said, there are no guarantees, and it would not be surprising to see the Terriers in League One next season.

Huddersfield Town urged for major summer overhaul

Looking ahead to next season, Football League World spoke to their resident Terriers pundit, Graeme Rayner, to get his thoughts on how many new signings Huddersfield Town will need to make in order to strengthen the squad.

To this, Rayner said: "Whatever division we are in, I think we probably need to look at signing five or six players who are competing for first-team spots.

"We need an option at right wing-back. Really, we only have Lasse Sørensen who can play there, and unfortunately, as of late, he has been playing as a full-back. Ollie Turton is a full-back being asked to play wing-back, so we need another option in that position.

"We need to replace Michal Helik at centre-back. That may involve trying to sign Nigel Lonwijk on a permanent deal, but I think we need another player there because Tom Lees and Matty Pearson are not getting any younger.

"If we play with a back five next season, a first-choice back three of Lonwijk, Radinio Balker, and Brodie Spencer looks promising, but then we don't have much in the way of cover.

"We need to look at a long-term replacement for Jonathan Hogg in terms of an aggressive, ball-winning midfielder. Kasumu can do that job, but when he does, we lose his potency going forward."

An improvement on Herbie Kane outlined as key area of improvement

Handpicking the most important area of the squad to improve, Rayner added: "We need to look at our options for a true playmaker in midfield.

"Herbie Kane has proven to be okay, but he isn’t going to be good enough for the Championship if we go up, and questions have been raised about his ability to move the ball quickly enough.

"Ben Wiles blows hot and cold, so we definitely need someone who can play in an eight or ten role and unlock defences. We struggle to break down teams that sit deep with a solid bank of eight to ten players behind the ball, making the pitch feel small and blocking.

"We haven’t had anyone who can do that job since Aaron Mooy left. That was a while ago, and we got away with it when Lewis O’Brien was playing the way he did under Carlos Corberán. We could do with someone who can carry the ball from box to box like that.

"If all of our strikers were fit, we would be fine in League One, but if we go up to the Championship, we’ll definitely need someone of a higher calibre.

"It’s a massive transfer window in the summer, regardless of where we are."

Championship football would make Huddersfield's summer window vital

League One football would allow Huddersfield to be more selective in the transfer market, but if they secure promotion to the Championship, the squad will require thorough strengthening.

The lack of creativity in League One is already a concern, and their struggles in front of goal would only be further exposed at a higher level.

Of course, promotion would enable them to attract a higher calibre of player, but whether the Terriers have the necessary funding for wholesale changes remains uncertain.