Veterans Dunne and Given as well as Ireland and Bent all look to be leaving the club.
In a bid to save money Aston Villa are looking to offload expensive fringe players Darren Bent, Richard Dunne, Shay Given and Stephen Ireland, reports the Telegraph.
The four men have barely featured under manager Paul Lambert since he was brought in from Norwich City in 2012, yet they earn around £12million a year between them.
Dunne’s £50,000-a-week contract is up in the summer and after not playing a single match in an injury-ravaged season Lambert will let the 33-year-old go.
It’s a fall from grace for the Ireland international who was bought in from Manchester City by Martin O’Neill for £5million in 2009, with the defender making the PFA Team of the Year in 2010.
Ireland meanwhile has not been featured in the manager’s 18-man match day squad since Villa’s home defeat to Newcastle in January.
The Irishman has 12 months remaining on his contract but Lambert will be keen to offload the costly squad player in the transfer window.
Given and Bent both still have two years remaining on their deals however and as a result will be harder to shift, although the striker has already hinted that he would be open to a move away from Villa Park this summer.
Similarly it seems as if right-back Alan Hutton will be returning to the club from his loan spell at Real Mallorca, as the Spanish side cannot meet the £1million asking price for the defender and he could be another shown the door by Lambert.
With Villa only narrowly avoiding relegation this season it is likely the manager will be wanting to shake things up in the dressing room, although he will struggle to hold onto young talents Christian Benteke and Andreas Weimann.
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