ATHLETIC assistant manager Dave Mackay has said that the club's budget played a part in the departures of six players from the club.
On Tuesday, it was announced that forward Alex Jakubiak, midfielder Paul Allan, full-back Miller Fenton and goalkeeper Max Little would be leaving when their contracts expire at the end of this month.
In addition, youngsters Jake Rennie and Michael Beagley will also exit KDM Group East End Park.
Jakubiak, 27, heads for pastures new having made 28 appearances and scoring twice - a brace in a 2-2 draw at Ayr United in late December - after signing in September.
READ MORE: Out-of-contract Pars stars' futures revealed
He arrived after helping Dundee win last season's SPFL Championship title, where he worked with current Pars boss, James McPake, and Mackay, but will now move on.
Boyhood Dunfermline fan Allan, 24, was also not offered new terms after making 67 appearances for the club, having graduated from the former Fife Elite Football Academy.
After an injury-hit 2022/23 campaign restricted him to just 12 appearances as Athletic won League One, he played 33 times during this season, in which time he scored both of his two goals for the club.
Mackay said that Allan in particular was unfortunate not to be retained, and explained: "We know how good that Jak can be.
"It's why we were desperate to bring him here from Dundee, why we were desperate to take him to Dundee as well.
"Whether it was just due to injuries, I don't know, it's just something with Jak where he can be unplayable on his day - we saw against Dundee United - but we just didn't see it quite enough to possibly justify, if it was coming down to a striker, then Chris Kane had proven that he was the type of striker that we needed.
"Jak will get a club no problem. He is a top player and I hope he goes and fulfils the potential that he's got because he's got all the attributes to be a top player.
"Unfortunately, again, it comes down to budget restraints where you can't retain everybody, and you have to move players on. Unfortunately, Jak was a victim of that.
"Paul's done great and, again, when we came in last year, he would've probably been the mainstay of our midfield last season in League One if he never broke his foot. He then came back and the same thing happens again, so timing and luck just went against Paul last season.
"Then, this season, he's come in, he's played an awful lot of football, but the unfortunate thing for Paul, and we spoke to him - we'd have been desperate to keep Paul, we'd have loved to kept him, he's got a great attitude, and I think he's got so much potential to improve as a player - but, again, it comes down to budgets unfortunately at times.
"He's been really unfortunate that he's one of the few that was coming out of contract, and the rest are under contract.
"It was just a case of he was the one out of contract and we just didn't have any budget to keep him, because we would've been desperate to do it."
Dunfermline's close season departures also include those who spent time on loan with the club last season.
Blackpool pair Owen Moffat and Brad Holmes, Celtic's Ben Summers, Cardiff City duo Malachi Fagan-Walcott and Xavier Benjamin, and Livingston's Miles Welch-Hayes, have all returned to their parent sides.
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