Retained list

Why would you terminate contracts so early, when you might be able to get shut without cost

Paying off all these players now would cost millions and millions

No idea what you were expecting, but there are no surprises here. Today was only going to highlight which players we aren't offering a new deal to. The hard work starts now, I'd hate to be the guy tasked with moving on some of the deadwood we have on long deals.

Sacko seemed to say his farewells on twitter so maybe he’s been offered a deal to move on.

However I wouldn’t expect the club to just pay players off. Other teams will be looking for players and their agents will be looking to move them on. So we either sell them or come to a mutual agreement in order to keep losses down.

There will be a lot of loan deals I'm guessing.

I'm thinking Sacko, Wiedwald (though who'd want him?), Lonners, O'Kane, Anita, Grot, Ekuban and Cibicki.

Gets their wages partially off the books and stops them passing their skill deficiencies on to the rest of the team.

Is is possible to loan out our manager too while we're at it if we don't want to sack him?

Sacko seems to have been told that he has no future at the club. I wonder whether the guys I mentioned will leave but on a free.
Pretty sure that they have been told they are not needed at the club and that they need to look elsewhere. Also quite sure that as the new season draws close, should they not have found anywhere, all four, and possibly a few others, will be paid off. Those millions will not be saved, just not paid out quite yet.

Players have varying time periods left on their contracts.

It is not uncommon to read "ABC club and XYZ player have agreed to terminate XYZ's contract."

Clearly the player is entitled, by contract, to receive his wages for the remainder of the term of the contract. However, it is to be expected that some will prefer to be released so they can pursue playing football elsewhere.

So, discussions take place with the player trying to get as much as he can and the club trying to play as little as possible.

Anyone here have personal knowledge of how these things tend to get worked out? Perhaps an average percentage of the remaining term is customarily paid?

Think we have lots of players that our fans don't want who a few teams near the bottom of this division would snap up. O'Kane and Phillips, for instance.

Don't want to see a mass exodus. Replace some of the deadwood and sign five or six first teamers, then the players who have been playing all this season can be ourt backup options.