D-day for Dunfermline Athletic squad as discussions take place with out-of-contract players

Today is D-day for Dunfermline’s out-of-contract players.

Following the conclusion of the Championship season on Friday night, many of the Pars stars are learning their fate ahead of a major squad rebuild this summer.

New owners James Bord and Evan Sofer are expected to fund an extensive revamp following two years of the team underperforming and struggling at the wrong end of the table.

Whether Neil Lennon remains to guide the Fifers beyond the summer also remains to be confirmed.

The former Celtic and Hibernian manager has made encouraging noises in recent weeks over a possible longer stay at East End Park.

However, with Championship survival confirmed by Hamilton Accies’ points deduction, planning for the new season is ongoing, with an incredible 20 first-team players out of contract.

It is understood chairman and chief executive David Cook is meeting with the squad for talks on Monday.

With six loan players – Tobi Oluwayemi, Tommy Fogarty, Andre Raymond, Owen Hampson, Archie Stevens and Ephraim Yeboah – returning to their parent clubs, deals for a further 14 expire in the coming days.

Massive turnover of players expected at Dunfermline

They include defender Jeremiah Chilokoa-Mullen and Lewis McCann, although options to extend are understood to have been built into their previous agreements.

Some stalwarts of late, such as Aaron Comrie, Chris Hamilton and Joe Chalmers, are also facing an uncertain future, whilst others – Craig Wighton and Rhys Breen – have been out on loan.

With the likes of David Wotherspoon, Michael O’Halloran and Craig Clay in the ‘experienced’ category and a plethora of younger signings early in the new year failing to make much of an impact, there is expected to be a massive turnover of players.

High-profile Lennon recruit Victor Wanyama and Omar Taylor-Clarke, Tashan Oakley-Boothe and fans’ favourite Josh Cooper complete the extensive list of players reaching the end of deals.

Some of the youngsters who helped the club win the recent Reserve Cup are also out of contract this summer.

It leaves Dunfermline with a squad of Deniz Mehmet, Ewan Otoo, Sam Young, Kyle Benedictus, Sam Fisher, Kieran Ngwenya, Kane Ritchie-Hosler, Matty Todd, Andrew Tod, Chris Kane, Connor Young, Taylor Sutherland and Keith Bray.

Whether some of those may be told they can seek a future elsewhere is another question.