Southampton will have to have a very good summer transfer window if they are to stay in the Premier League next season.
Manager Russell Martin steered his side to play-off success with a 1-0 win over Leeds United at Wembley but there is little time to enjoy the achievement with next season to plan for.
In securing promotion, Southampton confirmed that Taylor Harwood-Bellis would make his loan from Manchester City permanent for £20 million but there is still a lot of work to be done in the transfer window.
It is no secret that Martin would love to also sign both Ryan Fraser and Flynn Downes permanently too, with both playing important roles whilst on loan.
One player Southampton will be without is Stuart Armstrong, with the club confirming the 32-year-old will leave the club when his contract expires this summer.
Southampton need defensive reinforcements
The first area that needs addressing is goalkeeper.
Gavin Bazunu was the undisputed number one until he ruptured his achilles in April, with Alex McCarthy then the man trusted to keep goal for the rest of the season.
McCarthy is another player out of contract this summer with a decision on his future not yet made but, regardless of this, Bazunu will be out for at least the first few months of the season and needs replacing.
The club will be hopeful that promotion will see Kyle Walker-Peters stays, but another right-back is needed with James Bree unlikely to be up to the jump in level.
At left-back, Ryan Manning’s defensive deficiencies are a concern and he is another who Southampton must be looking to upgrade and, even with the permanent signing of Harwood-Bellis, another centre-back is needed.
Southampton need to replace departing players
In midfield Southampton’s priority will be making Downes’ move permanent but if they are unable to do so then another holding midfielder will be desperately needed.
Joe Rothwell and David Brooks are both unlikely to be signed permanently following their loans from Bournemouth, with the former in particular disappointing.
Stuart Armstrong’s departure leaves a big creative void in midfield too, with an upgrade on the Scotland international required.
Kamaldeen Sulemena barely kicked a ball in the second half of last season and will almost certainly be moved on and unless Fraser signs this will leave Samuel Edozie as the only senior winger at the club.
Therefore, either Fraser plus one other or perhaps even two new wingers should be targeted.
With Adam Armstrong playing his best football out wide last season and Che Adams potentially leaving as a free agent, this leave just Ross Stewart and Sekou Mara as central strikers.
Stewart has played just four games since signing last summer due to injures and Mara could be moved on as he continues to frustrate with his failure to take opportunities.
Southampton must learn from their failures last time they were in the Premier League and sign a leading man who is going to hit double figures or risk going straight back down again.
With Armstrong able to play centrally and Stewart hopefully benefitting from a full pre-season it could be that one marquee centre forward signing is enough.
With the above taken into consideration, Southampton need nine signings this summer to give themselves the best chance of survival.
These are: A goalkeeper, right-back, centre-back, left-back, holding midfielder, attacking midfielder, two wingers and a striker.