West Brom release Youssouf Mulumbu

Boss Tony Pulis has kicked off West Brom's summer squad shake-up by releasing midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu after six years at the Hawthorns.

The 28-year-old has left the Baggies after 211 appearances and 15 goals, while goalkeeper Boaz Myhill and midfielder Claudio Yacob will be with the club next season.

Pulis also hopes to tie veteran defender Gareth McAuley down to a new contract with his current deal set to expire this summer.

But it was the departure of Mulumbu that was the headline news when the Baggies released their retained list, less than two hours after the final whistle in yesterday's 4-1 season-ending defeat at Arsenal.

Mulumbu became a key player under Roberto Di Matteo after signing on loan for Tony Mowbray in February 2009 and making the move from Paris Saint Germain permanent that summer in a bargain £150,000 deal. But he fell out of favour under Pulis.

Albion have opened talks with Myhill and Yacob about new contracts but Pulis has already secured the pair for next season by activating 12-month options in their current deals.

And he hopes to keep 35-year-old McAuley, too, although negotiations over a one-year deal could stretch into the summer.

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Chris Baird and Jason Davidson have been released after failing to establish places in the first-team starting line-up while Andre Wisdom will return to Liverpool following the end of his season-long loan spell.

Albion will attempt to offload Victor Anichebe and Stephane Sessegnon, who both have just a year remaining on their contract, and they could also opt to sell long-serving defender Jonas Olsson.

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As well as taking up their options on Myhill and Yacob, Albion will offer the pair new deals to extend their stay beyond the end of next season.