Fulham midfielder Steve Sidwell has said that holding on to striker Dimitar Berbatov could be vital to keeping the club in the Premier League this season.

The Bulgarian has been linked with a move to Arsenal during the winter transfer window, but his teammate is keen to see him remain at Craven Cottage.

"His vision, his touch, what he can produce week in, week out to win games for you, it's there to see. He did that last season. He won numerous games with the goals he scored," he told talkSPORT.

"This year, perhaps because he hasn't scored as many as he would have liked, it comes down to what else he is producing on the pitch. So, if he has not scored, they look at his work rate, the chances he has created. Obviously we haven't had a great run of form this year as a team and he can't be the brunt of that.

"You always want your best players to stay, wherever you are in the Premier League. Whether you are at the bottom, in the middle, or pushing for the championship, you want your best players to be there because you know on their day what they can produce."

Fulham play league leaders Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium this weekend.