Chris Hughton’s Brighton & Hove Albion have revealed that they are to release five players at the end of the season following their Championship safety being secured for another year.
Aaron Hughes, Vitalijs Maksimenko, Kemy Agustien and Paddy McCourt will all be free agents in the summer, as will the highest profile player to leave the Falmer Stadium; Craig Mackail-Smith.
Mackail-Smith joined the club for a club record fee of £3.25 million in the summer of 2011, and although the 33 year-old netted in double figures for his first two seasons on the South Coast, the last two seasons have only provided a handful of goals.
This season, Mackail-Smith only managed to score three goals in 32 appearances for the Seagulls, leading to the decision of his release.
Between the four other players being let go at the end season, this season they have only managed a combined 16 appearances for Brighton.
Aaron Hughes has made 13 of them, but the 35 year-old is now deemed surplus to requirements after his first and only season with the East Sussex side.
Latvian international Vitalijs Maksimenko has only made two appearances for The Albion since his transfer in 2013, and a trio of loan spells have failed to make a credible enough impression on the management at Brighton for a new contract to be offered.
Former Swansea City defender Kemy Agustien has struggled to break into the first team, and as a result has only played 17 games in his two seasons with Chris Hughton’s side.
Paddy McCourt has previously won the Scottish Premier League three times with Celtic, as well as achieving honours in Ireland with Derry City, but the 31 year-old must now seek out pastures new.
