Brighton and Hove Albion have had a fantastic season this year under Chris Hughton, overseeing a complete turnaround from nearly getting relegated last season to contending for automatic promotion this season.

Last season, their failure stemmed from failing to replace star striker Leonardo Ulloa, who was sold to Leicester City. Their failure to do this almost got them relegated until Hughton arrived near the end of the season and comfortably led them to survival.

Hughton has since built a squad worthy of challenging for automatic promotion, adding Israeli striker Tomer Hemed who has struck 16 goals, and the midfield have been providing good assists. Jamie Murphy in particular has been excellent in midfield with good runs and solid crosses, along with Kazenga LuaLua.

Brighton sit second in the league after a 5-0 win over Fulham last night. The Seagulls have great team spirit and they are fighting very hard in every game, as their last minute goal against Nottingham Forest showed. James Wilson and Bobby Zamora added some much needed depth to the strikers department, whilst Anthony Knockaert's arrival has bolstered the midfield and increased creativity.

Hughton has also focused on the midfield area, with Beram Kayal joining from Celtic and his partnership with Dale Stephens has been outstanding. Also, LuaLua has been magnificent on the wing along with Murphy, and the recent addition of Leicester player Knockaert could prove crucial in the run-in.

The defence has been key for Brighton, which is much improved from last season, with captain Lewis Dunk outstanding at the back, whilst Ben Goldson has been great alongside him.

If Brighton do get promoted, it will be a great achievement and they will need to sign players if they are to survive the Premier League.

Here though, FootballLeagueWorld writer Michael Hasan identifies FIVE players that they may need to axe in the summer...

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PRESS THE IMAGE BELOW TO SEE THE 5 PLAYERS!

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Danny Holla

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The Dutch midfielder was brought in at the start of last season initially as an attacker, but is now quite versatile as an attacking midfielder.

But this season the centre of midfield has been dominated by the excellent partnership between Beram Kayal and Dale Stephens, who are unlikely to be broken up.

Also, Kazenga LuaLua and Jamie Murphy are nailed down as the wingers, with only Anthony Knockaert likely to break that monopoly.

Brighton may have to free up funds next season to invest in their squad, and getting rid of deadwood like Holla is a good start.

Sam Baldock

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The former Bristol City striker has been useful at times, and his 23 goal season a couple of years back was enough to tempt Brighton in making a move.

But he has been very disappointing, with just five goals in 20 appearances, and is not the striker you need in a promotion push.

Hemed has been the main striker for the Seagulls all season, and his 13 goals makes him their best as well.

But they had no decent back up as Baldock was struggling, so Manchester United youngster James Wilson was brought in and Bobby Zamora too.

Baldock may be more suited to League One where he was in such good form for Bristol City.

Inigo Calderon

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The wily Spanish defender has been with them since 2010 and has been involved with several promotion pushes with the club, including their League One promotion and play-off defeats in the Championship to Derby County and Crystal Palace.

But this season the 34-year-old has not played much of a part, with Dunk and Goldson proving solid in central defence, whilst Greer and Rosenior occupy the full back positions.

Calderon is good cover but Hunemeier is above him in the pecking order and, with him entering the final years of his career, he may seek first team football elsewhere.

Rohan Ince

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The Brighton midfielder like Holla has suffered the effects of being unable to break the Kayal-Stephens partnership in the centre of the park for Brighton.

Last season, he scored a stunning goal against Charlton Athletic but, overall, his defensive play was poor and Brighton conceded a lot last season.

After making a few disappointing appearances this season, he was sent out on loan to struggling Fulham, but he has struggled to get game time there too with just three appearances all season.

Chris O'Grady

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The striker is surprisingly still on the books at Brighton despite his poor goalscoring record.

For Barnsley he scored an impressive 15 goals when they were relegated from the Championship, and was sold to Brighton in their attempt to replace Ulloa.

They were nearly relegated because of their striker's failure, with him only mustering one goal in 31 appearances.

With the arrival of Hemed this season, he was sent out on loan to Nottingham Forest where he has two goals in 19 appearances, and is now struggling to make the squad.

He maybe needs a drop down to League One to re-find his form, but he isn't good enough for Brighton anymore.

Brighton fans... do you agree? Should these players be axed in the summer? Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!