Ayr Utd's Ben Dempsey is expected to leave the club after four years at Somerset Park. The midfielder has been offered a new contract but is set to join Derry City instead. Dempsey made 10 senior appearances for Ayr Utd, including four Scottish Championship appearances. He played alongside former Derry winger Dom Thomas and another ex-Candy Stripe, Kevin Holt, at Ayr last season. The box-to-box central midfielder flourished at Somerset and was handed the captain's armband by manager Scott Brown in his third season. Dempsey will certainly bolster Derry City's midfield engine room, where he will compete with James Olayinka, Adam O'Reilly, Cameron Dummigan, James McClean, Carl Winchester, and James Clarke. Ben Doherty, another who has been deployed in midfield, could be making a surprise departure in the coming weeks with Coleraine understood to be interested in the Derry man. Question marks also remain over Gavin Whyte at the club as the player hasn't featured since being substituted at half-time during the 1-0 defeat to Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght on March 6th. The former Portsmouth forward was an unused sub against Drogheda United at Brandywell on March 20th. Another busy transfer window is expected at the Brandywell Stadium with several players departing, including current loan players Josh Thomas who has been released by Swansea, and Alex Bannon who is set to return to Burton Albion in July. Goalkeeper Eddie Beach, who has played 18 times for Derry since agreeing to a six month loan move, is also expected to return to his parent club, Kilmarnock, this summer. Charlton's Henry Rylah signed a 12 month loan deal but could be recalled early by the Addicks. Derry City is appointing a new Head of Player Recruitment but manager Liam Lynch is clearly wasting no time in strengthening his squad as they look to improve on a hugely frustrating first half of the season which sees the club languishing in sixth spot with just four wins in 20 games. Commenting after the 2-1 loss to Dundalk at Oriel Park before the break, Lynch said he hoped the upcoming transfer window would give the squad a 'fresh impetus'.