Vermaelen hopes Cesc stays with Arsenal

Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen admits it's critical the club holds onto Cesc Fabregas.

Vermaelen acknowledges that Fabregas is an important part of the team and would be sorely missed if he returned to Barcelona.

"Cesc is important because he is a very good player for us," the former Ajaxman told PA Sport.

"I hope he will stay. I hope he will score goals for us. In football you never know but I'm confident that he will stay."