Aberdeen have confirmed Marley Watkins, Connor McLennan, Dean Campbell and Matty Kennedy have left the club.
All four are out of contract and were not offered new deals.
As the Dons’ retained list was revealed, boss Barry Robson also said there have been “positive discussions” with some loan players in a bid to get them to return to Pittodrie for the new season.
However, first-team coach Liam Fox will also leave the Reds after his short-term contract expired.
Former Dundee United manager Fox arrived at Pittodrie in March and played a part in the Dons securing a third-placed Premiership finish, and family circumstances have prevented Fox from relocating to Aberdeen on a more permanent basis.
Aberdeen have also confirmed youngsters Mason Hancock, Timi Fatona and Blessing Oluyemi have left the club.
‘Positive discussions’ with loan stars
Loan players and first team starters Leighton Clarkson (Liverpool), Graeme Shinnie (Wigan), Liam Scales (Celtic), Mattie Pollock (Watford) and Hayden Coulson (Middlesbrough) have all returned to their parent clubs.
Also returning to their parent clubs are loan players Jay Gorter (Ajax), Dilan Markanday (Blackburn Rovers) and Patrik Myslovič (MŠK Žilina), who had limited game time.
However, manager Robson has confirmed the club are still in “positive discussions” with some of those loan stars about the possibility of returning to Pittodrie.
Aberdeen have made bids to secure Clarkson, Shinnie and Scales on permanent contracts.
The Dons have a broad agreement in place with Liverpool club to secure midfielder Clarkson this summer – however, that is subject to the 21-year-old agreeing terms.
Clarkson has a year left on his Liverpool contract and clubs in the English Championship and League One have targeted him.
Wigan are open to selling Shinnie, who has a year left on his contact, but it would take a six figure sum.
Scales has two years left on his contract at Celtic.
Robson said: “We are still having positive discussions with some of the loan players who are departing about the possibility of returning for next season.
“We’ll see how those progress over the next few weeks.”
Robson’s thanks to departed players
Aberdeen boss Robson is set to undertake a squad rebuild during the summer transfer window.
The Dons are in talks with Croatian midfielder Tonio Teklic and Slovenian striker Ester Sokler about summer switches.
Robson thanked the departed players, and coach Fox, for their efforts.
He said: “I would like to thank every player, and Liam, for their efforts during their time at the club.
“They leave us with our best wishes for the future.”
Aberdeen’s youngest player exits
Midfielder Campbell made 26 appearances on loan with Stevenage last season, winning promotion to England’s League One.
Campbell became Aberdeen’s youngest ever player when he made his debut for the Dons against Celtic back in 2017, aged 16 years, 1 month, 23 days.
The midfielder featured 75 times for the first team, scoring his only goal against Livingston at Almondvale in 2018.
Campbell made headlines on loan at Stevenage when he scored the winning goal in their giant-killing 2-1 FA Cup defeat of Premier League Aston Villa.
With Stevenage 1-0 down inside the final five minutes at Villa Park, Pittodrie youth academy graduate Campbell won an 88th-minute equalising penalty.
And then two minutes later he fired home a sublime winner.
Watkins’ second spell ends
Striker Watkins, meanwhile, made 52 appearances (20 starts) and scored four goals for the Dons during two seasons on a permanent contract.
He had initially been on loan from Bristol City in season 2020-21, but suffered an injury that cut the loan spell short.
Watkins, 32. returned to Pittodrie in summer 2021 on a permanent contract.
However, Welsh international Watkins only started four games last season, although he did start the 4-0 loss to Celtic at Parkhead in the final game of the campaign.
Youth academy graduate McLennan leaves
Academy graduate Connor McLennan is also departing the Dons.
McLennan joined Aberdeen aged just eight and progressed through the academy before making his senior debut at McDiarmid Park in April 2016.
As well as loan spells with Brechin City and St Johnstone, he has gone on to appear more than 100 times for the Dons, scoring eight first-team goals.
Farewell to Northern Ireland international Kennedy
Northern Irish international winger Matty Kennedy arrived on a three-and-a-half-year deal from St Johnstone back in January 2020.
The 28-year-old made 14 Premiership starts last season, taking his overall tally to 85 in across four campaigns.
He netted on six occasions during those games.
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