Town have confirmed the departures of James Norwood, Tom Carroll, Myles Kenlock and Tomas Holy.

The quartet were among those who are out of contract this summer and their exits come as little surprise.

TWTD revealed on Friday that Norwood and Carroll had been released following meetings with manager Kieran McKenna the previous day, while Kenlock has been on loan at Colchester and Holy with Port Vale since January.

Norwood, who joined Town on a free transfer from Tranmere in the summer of 2019, made 27 appearances this season, scoring seven times having spent a spell training with the U23s during Paul Cook’s time as boss.

In total, the 31-year-old scored 28 goals in 57 starts and 29 appearances from the bench.

The club had an option to keep the striker, whose time with Town was punctuated by injuries and off-field controversy, for a further season.

A number of League One clubs are understood to have been monitoring the 31-year-old’s situation among them Wigan Athletic and Oxford United. Portsmouth and Preston have also been linked.

Midfielder Carroll, 29, signed on a free transfer last summer having left QPR and has had an injury-hit campaign, making only 11 starts and six sub appearances for the Blues.

Left-back Kenlock, 25, joined the Town academy in 2014 and went on to make 94 first team starts and nine sub appearances without scoring a competitive goal. Having impressed for the U's, a return to North Essex on a permanent basis over the summer isn't out of the question.

Keeper Holy, 30, joined the Blues on a free transfer from Gillingham in the summer of 2019. The 6ft 9in tall glovesman made 65 appearances for Town, only three this season, all in cups. He kept 28 clean sheets during his time with the Blues.

Town have also confirmed that loanees Bersant Celina, Dominic Thompson, Macauley Bonne and Tyreeq Bakinson have returned to their parent clubs, Dijon, Brentford, QPR and Bristol City respectively, at the end of their spells.

As revealed by TWTD last month, Sone Aluko, who was due to be out of contract this summer, has made enough appearances to trigger the additional year on his contract, while it's known that striker Kayden Jackson is in talks regarding a new deal with his current terms ending in the summer.

Town are set to make further announcements with discussions continuing with some members of the squad.

Bailey Clements, 21, and 22-year-old Brett McGavin, also out of contract this summer, are currently on loan at Stevenage and King's Lynn, whose seasons are still ongoing.

Young forward Tawanda Chirewa, 18, is among the U23s players out of contract this summer but with the club having an option for a further season and the Blues appearing certain to have offered him new terms.

As reported last month, Town have taken the one-year option on striker Ben Morris’s deal, while Tyreece Simpson has told the club he wants to depart with his deal ending this summer but with the club having a year's option.

Photo: Matchday Images

LukePenningVGP added 18:37 - May 5 Anything on any of the U23s?
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PhilTWTD added 18:58 - May 5 LukePenningVGP Club will be making further announcements, discussions ongoing with some.
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RobsonWark added 19:13 - May 5 Can't say I'm sad to see any of the 4 permanent players are going. Nor am I sad that the 4 loan players are going back to their clubs. Thompson shouldn't be playing at this level. Bakinson is not good enough to wear the ITFC shirt if we want to progress to the Championship. Celina shows flashes of brilliance but is not consistent enough in matches to start a match - maybe a Supersub. Bonne, as much as he loves Town, is not mature enough. You would think by the time you get to his age and training and playing football week in week out you would know the offside rule by now.

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Stato added 19:35 - May 5 Agree 100% RobsonWark. Assuming we keep the same formation we need a starting eleven for first game of the season that has a new left side of defence, someone to play alongside Morsey, someone to play alongside Chaplin and someone up front. Evans, Burgess, Baggott, Aluko and Jacksonwill all be here next season and on the bench for game 1 so maybe 2 or 3 loans to fill the rest of the bench ? We really don't have space for too many new faces so hopefully they will mostly be recognised championship quality or young prem loan starters.

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Europablue added 19:43 - May 5 RobsonWark I don't know if the 4 loan players going back means anything. It's not a statement that we aren't interested in signing them permanently. I don't have a strong opinion about any of them. They all could be decent squad players with Celina having more potential.
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brassy added 19:44 - May 5 personly i wouldnt dare to tell kieran who to buy or sell i back him 100% coybs.
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ITFC_Singapore added 20:00 - May 5 Also agree 100% with RobsonWark. I would be tempted to bring Celina back though if the cost was low. Whilst he is an anonymous the vast majority of the time he clearly does have game changing ability in flashes. Glad to see the back of Bonne and Bakinson and if Thompson can be a professional footballer then so can I.....and so can my dog. :)
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WhoisJimmyJuan added 20:31 - May 5 Worth bearing in mind KmK hasn't really been tested in the transfer market yet. I trust him completely but let's not write off the departing loanees just yet and also be mindful that Norwood may well score goals against us. I'm optimistic meself, but cautiously so.
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Saxonblue74 added 20:43 - May 5 I'd be very disappointed not to see Celina return. He's a player who would be much stronger in the championship than the very physical lge1. Can see him becoming a permanent signing.
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TimmyH added 20:45 - May 5 Wish them all the best particularly Kenlock who came through the academy (at times he showed potential in the Championship but never really got it going)...as for Carroll along with Hldaky, Thompson, Harper, Piggot and for most of the season Bonne have been the biggest disappointments.
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chepstowblue added 21:01 - May 5 Well it appears that we've already reached the champions league! Bakinson and Celina are plenty good enough for us, especially at league one level. Bonne was prolific under Cook but poor under McKenna. If he replicated his early season form I'd take him as a back up to a hopefully better new arrival.Thompson was dreadful almost every time I saw him and is surely a no deal. We can't afford to faff about too much with this squad or we'll be also rans again next season, churning out the same pitiful excuses! Good luck to those who are moving on.

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ringwoodblue added 21:13 - May 5 Still think we will regret getting rid of Norwood but all the others are not the sort of players we need but I wish all of them well particularly Kenlock who is homegrown.
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RobsonWark added 21:24 - May 5 Chepstowblue that's why we finished 11th in Tier 3 - because fans like you are HAPPY with these oh so POOR players. I don't what matches you have been watching this season but you haven't been watching the same matches as I have.
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EssexBloo added 21:27 - May 5 £20k a week saved to use on better players? Happy days.
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muhrensleftfoot added 21:56 - May 5 Celina talented but vey inconsistent. Bakinson also talented but seems lightweight. Others definitely not up to standard with the exception of Norwood. I would have exercised the 1 year option. Yes he has his issues, but always gives his all and knows where the goal is.
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Tellitasitis added 21:58 - May 5 Norwood off to play in Bulgaria with a Mr pardew
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PackwoodBlue added 23:04 - May 5 Disappointed to see Celina leave. Inconsistent, yes but an extremely talented footballer and can turn things around in an instant. Perhaps a luxury player but at the right price would love to see him return.
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blueboy1981 added 00:18 - May 6 So where are the ‘players' coming from to give us what we didn't have last season, to only finish mid table Division 3 yet again … ??? I think some people could be in for a shock, because a question mark has to be put against many that will still be here, as to if they are of standard to gain promotion from this awful Division. Tough season ahead, with those coming down too. I repeat yet again - MUCH to be done before August, or many could well be disappointed again come May 2023. Call me Pessimistic, I'm not - I'm a Realist, which many are not … !!!

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blueboy1981 added 00:31 - May 6 Absolute no brainer to have taken up the Club's one year extension option on Norwood, much interest in him as was to be expected - what was there for the Club to lose … ??? - crazy decision by whoever made it in my opinion. He'll rip it up wherever he goes, and will already be fixed up. Don't be surprised to see he and Bonne link up elsewhere - it could happen !! I just cannot see where the ‘PUNCH' is going to come from to see is improve by 50% next season, which we need to do. Would / Will be extremely pleased to be proved wrong. We will see - time will tell, as always … !!!

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blueboy1981 added 00:38 - May 6 TimmyH …… that's half the Team, which proves my point of saying there is MUCH to do to improve next season on, hopefully not, another mid table finish !!
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Saxonblue74 added 06:41 - May 6 Tellitasitis, forgive me if I take your "Norwood to Bulgaria" comment with a pinch of salt. "Neil Harris 100% nailed on for next manager" was your insider news before KmK was appointed! Do you report for The Sun?!
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ArnieM added 07:47 - May 6 If we are releasing 31/32 yr old Norwood, then it indicates to me McKenna already had his next striker target firmly in his sights ! Loan players , as I understand it, have to return to their parent club once the loan spell has ended. That doesn't mean to say Town will not look to sign some of them on. I wouldn't be surprised if we signed Bakinson however.
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Bazza8564 added 08:04 - May 6 Interesting comments about Norwood, 8400 a week and 2 drink driving convictions, no way the US owners would ever allow that renewal, otherwise the only surprise for me is Bakinson, we had an option to extend for another year, with Carrol gone I can only think we have two lined up in that position. Celina will be back im sure, Dijon will be desperate to pay his remaining two years off, otherwise no surprises in this. There will be others leaving or loaned out, Dobra, Harper possibly El Mizuni and im sure Pigott will leave, possibly KVY too. That leaves a very good core of players, and 4-5 opportunities to strengthen. Whispers coming out last week indicated our transfer budget was agreed as if we had been promoted, so it will be interesting to see who comes in when the window opens. Every time we've needed Mark Ashton to deliver, he has, so this little clear out looks to me like good business.

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Texastom added 08:24 - May 6 Norwoods a legend. He was mismanaged by ITFC since his arrival. Too much chopping and changing, no consistency, always being dropped and we never played to his strengths - that's what you do with Strikers. How can a guy go from scoring 30 goals a season to what we did with him?! Bet he succeeds at his next Club….
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cressi added 08:33 - May 6 Personally I would have kept Norwood, for another year even if its as back up, but maybe Norwood and McKenna spoke and he said he wanted to be where he starts games at 31 maybe he wants yo play. The others I'm not to bothered maybe Celina but he needs to be stronger in the rough and tumble of this league not go missing in games for long periods
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