Gillingham have agreed to sell their captain Kyle Dempsey to Bolton Wanderers.

Dempsey is out of contract this summer and the Gills have opted to cash in now rather than lose him for nothing when his contract expires. The arrival of Ben Thompson on deadline day means they are already sorted for a replacement in the midfield department.

Dempsey joined as a free agent in August 2020 following four seasons at Fleetwood and was made captain by former boss Steve Evans.

He leaves after making 58 league appearances for the club and scoring nine goals in League 1. His only goal this season was against Bolton in a 2-2 draw.

Following his move, Dempsey messages the Gillingham fans, saying: "I really hope the club gets out of the position it's in and remains in League 1 where it belongs.

"It's been an absolute honour to captain the club and I wish all the boys, staff, chairman and fans all the very best for the future."

Bolton, who are looking to make a late charge for the play-off places, have been chasing the midfielder for several weeks. The undisclosed fee is expected to be around the £150,000 mark although there will be add-ons.

Gillingham do need to shuffle the squad to make additions and it looks like good business to bring Thompson in for nothing and recoup some funds with the sale of Dempsey.

The Gills could come up against Dempsey when they play Bolton at Priestfield in early March. He has agreed a two and a half year deal with his new club.

On signing for Bolton, Dempsey tweeted: "Absolutely buzzing to sign for his huge club. I cannot wait to get started and show the fans what I'm about."