Named the SPL's Young Player of the Month in both October and November, many expected him to extend his loan stay at Falkirk with Arsene Wenger quoted as saying, "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." But his phenomenal form attracted much interest from both sides of the border. Gordon Strachan is believed to have had a £1m offer turned down earlier in the season, but a recently raised offer left many expecting Stokes to sign for the club he supported as a boy.

Among the other suitors interested in his signature were Sunderland, a club he had trials with before his loan move to Falkirk. Roy Keane went to watch the youngster twice in recent months, against Celtic and Hearts stating: "He's direct, a real good talent and a very good, young, hungry player and he's one we're looking at. I might well step up my interest." However Stokes was put off earlier in the year by the number of strikers already at the Stadium of Light and turned down Niall Quinn's loan offer in August.

It was only in recent days that new Charlton boss Alan Pardew confirmed that England striker Darren Bent was up for sale, with Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United all believed to be interested in the £12m-rated player who has eight Premiership goals to his name this season, 10 off last season's tally. With Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink also believed to be out of favour at The Valley, the move paves the way for Stokes to partner Marcus Bent as Charlton bid to avoid relegation. The club lies just two points off the foot of the table at present.

Stokes currently holds the record as the only player to score in every first and second-phase game in European under-19 qualifying and was a surprise omission from Steve Staunton's Ireland squad for the San Marino encounter in November. Instead he made the B team for the Dalymount Park clash with Scotland but if he can transfer some of his recent form to the Premiership, it can only be a matter of time before his full international debut. Stokes could make his debut for Charlton as early as next Saturday when his new side face Middlesbrough at the Valley.