Aston Villa release £12m McCormack early

Premier League new boys Aston Villa have confirmed Ross McCormack has been released from his contract.

Scotland striker McCormack cost Villa £12million when he signed from Fulham in 2016, but his last appearance for the club came in the EFL Cup in September 2017.

He contributed only three Championship goals in his three years at Villa Park, which included A-League spells with Melbourne City and Central Coast Mariners.

McCormack's contract was reportedly set to reward him with a pay rise to £70,000 a week following Villa's defeat of Derby County in the play-off final.

But Villa announced in a brief statement on Monday that McCormack has been released "after signing a variation agreement". 

Villa have also released Mile Jedinak, Alan Hutton, Tommy Elphick, Albert Adomah, Glenn Whelan, Ritchie De Laet, Mark Bunn and Micah Richards after their contracts expired.