Breaking: What Cardiff City’s perfect summer looks like with Bulut’s predicament handled and transfer priority secured.

Cardiff City head into the summer with a number of issues to nail down if they are to build on the progress made this season.

Erol Bulut steered a club which had finished just above the relegation spots for the last two seasons to the relative comfort of mid-table, doing so with a transfer embargo last summer and a January window which had to be ripped up and started again in the final two days.

It hasn’t been easy, but the clear majority of fans believe the club has done well this season, and many see signs of optimism that can serve as a springboard for next season.

So, what needs to happen this summer for Cardiff to break into the top six, as they will undoubtedly aim to achieve next season? We look at what the ideal summer looks like.

Yes, plainly, this is the major deal. While this will not be a summer-long issue—we anticipate a resolution by the end of the week—it is critical to all future planning.

Bulut returned to Turkey last week to be with his wife and children following a moderately successful but tough season in Wales’ capital. His coaching staff has also left, returning to their individual families in Germany, Turkey, and Greece while they await decisions about their own futures.

According to our understanding, there is now an offer with Bulut, and the length of the agreement is a potential sticking point. Bulut has mentioned expanding his coaching staff and revamping the scouting and recruitment network, but those plans will not be included in the deal.

Bulut argues that there is a project to be completed in Cardiff and that he will require employment security while carrying it out. He hopes to improve on his 12th-place performance this season and has stated that if given the opportunity, he hopes to achieve even greater success next season.

Vincent Tan, on the other hand, was severely burned by the two-year contract he extended to Mick McCarthy following the former Republic of Ireland manager’s promising start in Cardiff. Following his resignation, a succession of managers have been placed on short-term deals.

The decision is still up in the air, and many club members want the manager to return next season. Many people will be disappointed if he isn’t. If there is another search for a new manager, it will be exhausting and possibly time-consuming, with the team risking starting next season behind the eight ball. Speed is important, but there is still possibility of reaching an agreement with the current manager.

Cardiff cannot afford to go another window without bringing in at least one top-tier, Championship-caliber striker.

Only Kieffer Moore has had any genuine success as a striker at this club in the last six years or so, with the exception of a half-season barrage of goals from Sory Kaba last year, and Cardiff’s lack of goals and focal points has been a major issue in recent seasons.

Cardiff are free of the constraints of a transfer embargo this summer, and it’s usually simpler to produce your finest work during the off-season. Tan’s willingness to part with money is obviously another issue. However, goals cost money, which is terrible for the Bluebirds’ owner. Goals also lead to promotions, which should spark the owner’s interest.

Tan has already been burned by expensive striker deals, so you can understand his reluctance to spend large sums of money. But if you are going to spend money on anything, it must be a striker.

More was expected of Yakou Miete, Kion Etete has not performed as well as the club had hoped, and Famara Diedhiou has scored twice but has looked dull outside of those two moments. Isaak Davies will return confident after scoring double digits for KV Kortrijk this season, but expectations for him should be kept low next season, despite the fact that he will bring some much-needed pace.

Wingers are just as crucial in terms of creating opportunities and scoring goals, and Cardiff has to invest heavily in that area as well. Josh Bowler and Karlan Grant have returned to their parent clubs, leaving Cardiff in desperate need of wide options with a track record of goals at this level.

To be able to spend, Cardiff must start shifting the narrative surrounding the squad and selling players who have a net-positive transfer worth. All clubs at this level do it to stay afloat or even thrive, and Cardiff has been particularly awful at it in recent years.

This summer appears to be a real opportunity to begin producing cash through sales, with the potential to reinvest that money to support a better squad for the following season.

As much as the club would like to keep Perry Ng, most fans understand that he has probably earned his shot at a top-flight club someplace, and Cardiff might get a reasonable fee for him, provided he signed a new contract at the start of the season.

The team is sure to get bids for their intriguing young players, especially after Mark McGuinness’ half-season and Rubin Colwill’s growth this season. Bulut has already stated that Premier League clubs are looking into the Wales international.

A significant portion of earnings are also projected to be cut this summer. Cardiff paid a significant portion of loan players’ salary this season to compensate for the fact that they were unable to invest last summer. Hopefully, that outlay will be reduced this summer, giving the budget more wiggle room.

There is also a lingering concern about the club’s defence, which must be addressed in the summer.

As previously said, Ng and McGuinness may face transfer interest from other clubs, while Nat Phillips and Josh Wilson-Esbrand have returned to Liverpool and Manchester City, respectively. It leaves the backline looking somewhat barebones.

This leaves Mahlon Romeo, Dimitrios Goutas, and Jamilu Collins. If Bulut or a new manager does not perceive Callum O’Dowda as a left-back, Cardiff will need to reinforce their entire back line, one assumes. Yes, Joel Bagan will return from his loan at Zulte Waragem, and the untested Ryotaro Tsunoda will join Cardiff from KV Kortrijk, but the Bluebirds will most likely seek more solid options.

Cardiff’s defense line has been quite good for the majority of the season, but they have conceded a large number of goals toward the conclusion of the season, so there is room for development. They gave up 70 goals, trailing just Blackburn Rovers, Huddersfield Town, and Rotherham United.

It will be intriguing to see how the Bluebirds approach that section of the pitch and how much money they are ready to invest in recruitment.

Cardiff have made significant progress in recent years in terms of their attitude to young players at the club.

They have been significantly more active in wanting to send them out on loan, which has a knock-on effect for those who remain at the club and must step up age groups to fill in the vacancies, boosting their development.

Isaak Davies, Eli King, Joel Bagan, Xavier Benjamin, Malachi Fagan-Walcott, Tom Davies, Ryan Kavanagh, Kieron Evans, James Crole, Ollie Denham, Jacob Dennis, and Chanka Zimba are all on loan from Cardiff, having all played in the club’s academy.

They are receiving varying amounts of game time, as predicted, but their life experiences and, in general, experiences in a first-team setting will most likely benefit them more than being confined in academy football.

Over the previous two weeks, we’ve seen how academy students can make a difference when given the opportunity. Cian Ashford, Raheem Conte, Joel Colwill, and Luey Giles have all excelled when given the opportunity.

Tan is very passionate about the Bluebirds Academy, which has a new, cutting-edge campus in Llanrumney. He deserves credit for the money he put into the project and his desire to see Welsh talent grow at the club.

However, decisions made at this stage of a player’s development are critical to their future careers in the game. Cardiff have found a number of extremely terrific loans for their young players, but they have also had a lot of missed opportunities.

If Cardiff can build on their success this season in terms of sending its young players out, it might have a significant impact on the club’s long-term success. Similarly, they must select which of these youngsters will continue around and compete for first-team spots next season.

They cannot, however, drop the ball. They must begin the planning process as soon as possible.