Birmingham City has released fifteen players from its squad just weeks after securing promotion to the Championship.
The club, partly owned by Tom Brady, made these decisive roster adjustments following a highly successful League One campaign where they set a new EFL points record of 108 on their way to winning the division.
Among the departing players are Grant Hanley and Lee Myung-Jae, both of whom joined in January and have been released after their contracts expired. Hanley, a 33-year-old Scotland defender, previously made 79 Premier League appearances for Blackburn and Norwich City.
Loan players Luke Harris, Kieran Dowell, and Ben Davies have returned to their respective parent clubs.
Manager Chris Davies intends to retain his core squad and is reportedly targeting around six key additions for the summer transfer window.
The significant squad overhaul includes the departure of ten young players: Ben Beresford, Junior Dixon, Taylor Dodd, Laiith Fairnie, Harley Hamilton, Josh Home, Femi Olofinjana, Sahid Kamara, Stoyan Pergelov, and Oliver Sayer.
Furthermore, veteran striker Lukas Jutkiewicz has announced his retirement from football. He spent nine years at the club, making 358 appearances.
Birmingham City issued a statement thanking the released players for their contributions and wishing them success in their future careers.
The club had reportedly hoped to sign Ben Davies permanently from Rangers but was unable to reach an agreement with the Scottish club.
It is common practice for clubs achieving promotion to release players to facilitate squad upgrades, manage finances, and create room for new signings needed for the higher league.
Newly promoted Wrexham also saw significant player departures after their recent promotions, including former Premier League player Steven Fletcher, among others.
