Ross Hannah and Kingsley James leave Chester FC by mutual consent

Ross Hannah and Kingsley James have left Chester FC after coming to a mutual agreement to cancel their existing contracts.

The pair had a year left on their contracts with the Blues but, being the two highest earners, the club needed to move them on in order to provide a competitive budget to joint-managers Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley for the coming season.

James spent time on loan at Barrow towards the end of last season while Hannah joined Southport for a brief spell as Chester looked to lighten the load on their wage bill in the midst of their financial crisis.

Their names were circulated to clubs during the summer but no offers were forthcoming for either despite there being interest from Barrow and Alfreton Town in James.

The pair returned for pre-season training under Johnson and Morley last week but they have now come to a financial agreement to leave the club.

While the destination of Hannah, 32, is unknown, James, 26, is understood to be courting the attention of Guiseley, co-managed by former Chester boss Marcus Bignot and who have also added another member of last season's squad, Andy Halls, to their National League North squad .

In two separate spells, James, who joined from Macclesfield Town last summer, made 69 National League appearances and netted four goals.

Former Grimsby Town striker Hannah joined Chester initially in 2015, netting 22 goals in 42 National League games for the Blues before making the move to Barrow in the summer of 2016.

He rejoined Chester last summer but failed to recapture the form of his first spell, netting eight times in 30 games as Chester were relegated from the National League at the end of last season after a dismal campaign both on and off the field.

The departure of the duo frees up much-needed funds in the budget for Johnson and Morley who will now start to push ahead with further recruitment with the managerial duo continuing to chase attacking options.