Aberdeen manager Craig Brown will soon begin his player cleanout as another mediocre season at the Pittodrie comes to an end.

The Dons sit eighth on the Scottish Premier League table with four matches remaining and Brown is planning to start sweeping his broom in a bid to freshen up his squad for next season although he does admit it is a chore he isn't too fond of.

"It is the hardest part of being a manager," he told Record Sport.

"I've been in the game a long time and it never gets any easier but you must be fair and tell them the truth.

"There will be positives as well, as we plan to tell players they will be offered new contracts.

"But there will be departures as we need to make space to freshen up the squad."

The likes of Darren Mackie, Rory McArdle, Youl Mawene, Mohamed Chalali and Yoann Folly are all likely to be shown the door come season's end according to reports.

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