While many a Southampton fan will have already put Ross Stewart firmly to the back of their minds, the Scottish striker was a key part of the Saints squad last season.
Finally, the Irvine-born marksman was largely injury-free at St. Mary's, minus a mid-season hamstring concern, and he let his goalscoring do the talking, with eight goals put away from 25 Championship appearances.
Unfortunately, this eight-goal tally would be his swansong on the South Coast, with Stewart now a free agent, having returned from the World Cup recently with Scotland.
In the end, an option to extend the ex-Sunderland attacker's contract was not agreed, with the Saints on high alert as to which club he'll call home next, as he could come back to bite his former employers.
Tonda Eckert and Co. must avoid another Stewart situation that spirals out of control with Cameron Bragg, as the promising midfielder's contract is up next year.
He was in and out of the first team last season, next to the now departed Stewart, but he will continue to be important heading into the new campaign.
Bragg's importance at Southampton
Bragg actually featured even less than the reserve attacker last season.
17 Championship appearances would fall into his lap, but despite being handed such irregular minutes by Eckert, he will be seen as an important cog heading into the fresh season.
Indeed, with Shea Charles likely to leave the building before the summer is up, more first-team opportunities could soon come Bragg's way.
In a way, the 21-year-old very much plays like his Leeds United-linked counterpart, with a classy 92% pass accuracy averaged last season from only seven Championship starts.
If he were to be handed more first-team action shortly, do not be surprised to see Bragg blossom into a Championship-calibre midfield talent, with his senior duck broken last campaign, too, when he scored in the FA Cup.
There will be a lingering worry, though, that Southampton could have to wave goodbye to Bragg down the line for nothing, if they don't agree a new deal soon, with his current deal expiring in 2027.
If the example of Stewart is anything to go by, the promotion chasers must seek out a solution quickly, or be left with the same regret that they didn't tie down another of their star assets sooner.
A new contract must be sorted out
While losing the Scotland international does, of course, sting, there will also be an acceptance that he has moved on, as he had become a problem at points during his St Mary's career for being so injury prone.
At 30 years of age, as well, he wasn't getting any younger, with his goalscoring best potentially behind him.
Whereas, with Bragg, the anxiety will be, if he does walk away next summer, that Southampton never got all they could out of their homegrown gem.
Moreover, if a new deal wasn't agreed, and the 21-year-old was to go on to have a breakout start to the forthcoming campaign, he could possibly be snapped up by a higher up vulture for a cheap deal, knowing that he only has a matter of months left on his contract.
There is a lot more to lose when it comes to Bragg, arguably, and after witnessing glimpses of his promise last season, tieing him down to an extended deal feels like a no-brainer decision that must be executed swiftly.
Bragg would also surely welcome a continued stay on home turf, having cited an "incredible" working relationship with Eckert back in February.
The respect is evidently mutual, as the German noted that Bragg was a "top professional" last season, even when he had to deal with long spells out of the first team.
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