Andy Cole, Ian Harte, Stephen Wright and Stan Varga, who are all out of contract this summer, have been told their stays on Wearside will not be extended.
The news comes as no great surprise with Roy Keane having indicated in the wake of last weekend's tame 2-0 defeat at Bolton that he would clear the decks within days before starting his summer spending.
Cole and Varga were back on Wearside this morning after their respective loan spells at Burnley came to an end, and like Wright and Harte, their departures have seemed inevitable for some time.
Keane said: "I have sat down with Andy, Ian, Stephen and Stan and they won't be getting new contracts."