Anthony Stokes has been a scoring hit with Falkirk

The 18-year-old's present deal ends on Sunday and Falkirk head coach John Hughes hopes that Stokes will resist offers being made from other clubs.

"I am 100% convinced he will still be with us after New Year," he said.

"For his development, I would think it would be best to leave him at Falkirk, playing really competitive football."

Stokes has scored 13 goals in 17 games for Hughes' side, making him joint top scorer in the Scottish Premier League.

But Saturday's meeting with Inverness Caledonian Thistle could be his last at Falkirk Stadium.

I would love for him to play in the Premier League, but I have had no request from Charlton Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger

New Charlton boss Alan Pardew is understood to be an admirer of Stokes, who has also been linked with Celtic and Sunderland.

And Wenger made it clear he would not stand in the player's way should he be offered a chance of first-team football elsewhere in the Premiership in England.

"I am not against it, but it depends on him," he said.

"I would love for him to play in the Premier League, but I have had no request from Charlton.

"I will not force him to come back.

"I feel he will benefit from having one year in the SPL as a first-team player.

"Then he will be in a strong position to come back and say 'I want to play here'.

"I have plenty of players out on loan, so let's show for a year how good you are." Meanwhile, teenage striker Nicklas Bendtner has extended his loan spell at Birmingham until the end of the season.