"?Aston Villa's summer cull could start in the coming weeks with left-sided midfield pair Kieran Richardson and Charles N'Zogbia set to be released when their contracts expire at the end of June.
N'Zogbia's exit will free up around £3.3m off the annual wage bill, while Richardson's amounts to approximately £1m.
The pair will join Lewis Kinsella, ironically another left-sided player, on the scrapheap as Aston Villa prepare for life in the Championship, and many more names are sure to follow. Despite the Midlands club still searching for a manager, the future of a number of players will already be set in stone.
Richardson, 31, made eight Premier League starts for Aston Villa in his final season. He joined the club from Fulham, who at the time had suffered relegation and needed to cut the wage bill. Certainly a dose of irony, but Villa supporters won't see the funny side.
The veteran defender looked considerably off the pace in the Premier League, and was frequently targeted by the opposition for providing little protection at the ball. Forays into midfield failed to have the desired effect either, but fans won't have as harsh a view on his tenure than they will with Charles N'Zogbia.
Just 37 days till Charles N'Zogbia and Kieran Richardson leave Villa. #avfc pic.twitter.com/UQCItOMg6q
Supporters are finally rejoicing that N'Zogbia is out of contract in the summer, having deliberately turned down other clubs to squeeze every penny from the Midlands club at the expense of his career. The 29-year-old failed to start a Premier League game for the Villans in 2015/16, all the while taking home around £65K-a-week wages during his five years at Villa Park.
The pair leaving the club will save a considerable amount of money over the long-term, and will help fund new recruits this summer.