Barr has one cap for the Scotland national team

Falkirk manager Eddie May says Scotland defender Darren Barr has told him he will stay with the club until the summer and then move to England.

The Bairns captain is a January target for Hearts and Hibernian.

"Darren has always indicated to me that he will leave it to the end of the season," said May of the 25-year-old.

"We have offered him a contract and I'm led to believe that he has spoken to a few teams, but his main ambition is to go and play in England."

Barr is out of contract in the summer, free to talk with other clubs in January and Hibs have made an official move to open pre-contract talks with the defender.

But clubs from the Coca-Cola Championship have made their interest known and May feels that will be Barr's destination when his Falkirk contract expires at the end of the campaign.

I think 80% of the guys we have brought in have done the job successfully. The other 20% have not been good enough Falkirk manager Eddie May

"There have been a couple of clubs down there and I'm sure, at the end of the season, he will go and play his football down in England," said the manager.

"I had a conversation with him last week. Darren won't be signing a pre-contract with anybody."

May also allayed supporters' fears that Barr may be sold in January to avoid him leaving for free.

"I think Falkirk have had great service out of Darren," said May, who was instrumental in Barr's first-team breakthrough in his previous role as youth academy boss.

"The money they have paid him over the years, and what he has given the football club, I'm sure Falkirk have had their money out of Darren Barr.

"He will stay until the end of the season and I'm sure we'll get our worth in what Darren has brought to the football club and what he'll bring in the second part of the season."

There will be some departures from Falkirk Stadium in January, though, with loan players such as Kjartan Finnbogason and Alex MacDonald still waiting to hear whether they will be offered extended deals.

"Some will go, some will stay," May said. "I will need to tell them that first and I'm sure I will tell them that in the next 10 days."

MY SPORT: DEBATE Give your thoughts on Barr's future

May will have new signing Toufik Zerara in his squad for Saturday's Scottish Premier League clash at St Mirren.

"I think 80% of the guys we have brought in have done the job successfully," he said. "The other 20% have not been good enough.

"You can't get them all right, but if you get 80-20, that's decent business.

"If we bring players in, I'll be looking to boys who have not featured very much to go out on loan or go elsewhere.

"We'll definitely adjust the numbers because it's no use having so many players when you can only play 11."

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