Having announced on Tuesday that 34-year-old full-back Abel Xavier would be leaving the club at the end of the season, Boro have confirmed that strikers Malcolm Christie and Danny Graham will be released when their current contracts expire at the end of next month.

Southgate has spent the season assessing the squad he inherited from predecessor Steve McClaren and having added the likes of Julio Arca, Jonathan Woodgate, Robert Huth and Dong-Gook Lee to it, is planning his rebuilding programme.

Mark Viduka is yet to make a decision on his future, although his manager admits the closer he gets to the end of his existing deal, the more options he will have.

However, having been unable to agree terms with Xavier, Southgate is now to release Christie and Graham, freeing up further room for additions.

Christie has been desperately unfortunate during his four years or so at the Riverside Stadium, making only 29 starts and 20 further appearances as a substitute and scoring nine goals, after enduring an injury nightmare.

Two broken legs and a fractured foot, as well as a series of other niggling problems, have severely limited the 28-year-old's involvement, and with Southgate unable to offer him the amount of football he needs at this stage of his career, his departure was inevitable.

However, he will go having played a part in the club's first major trophy success when he scored the extra-time winner against Brighton which set them on their way to their 2004 Carling Cup triumph.

Southgate said: "I have spoken with Malcolm and we both feel a change would be the right thing for him.

"I have not been able to give him the opportunities he has understandably wanted.

"Now that Malcolm is over his injury problems, it is important for him to be playing, but I feel he will have more of an opportunity to be first choice at another club.

"Malcolm is a good pro and a great lad to have around so we wish him well wherever his future takes him.

"Boro fans should not forget his vital contribution to our first ever silverware, when he scored our extra-time goal against Brighton when we might have fallen at the first hurdle."

McClaren had high hopes of Christie when he paid former club Derby £3million for the striker and fellow England Under-21 international Chris Riggott in January 2003.

But while Riggott went on to establish himself in the side before the arrivals of Woodgate and Huth last summer and the emergence of Emanuel Pogatetz this season, Christie's fitness problems meant he never really had the chance to do so.

While he spent his time working his way back from injury, the likes of Viduka, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Ayegbeni Yakubu were recruited in the search for regular goal, pushing him further down the pecking order.

Gateshead-born Graham, 21, was recruited from Northern League Chester-le-Street as a teenager, but has managed just two senior starts for the Teessiders, and 19 more as a substitute, scoring twice.

He has had loan spells at Derby, Leeds and Carlisle, and Southgate believes he too can make his mark elsewhere.

He said: "I have no doubt that Danny will score goals wherever he goes, but he did not figure in my first team plans, so it is only right for him to move on and build a career for himself.

"As with Malcolm, we thank Danny for his contribution to the club."