‘No brainer’ - Liverpool urged to get £34m star’s deal done to ward off transfer interest

One of the most admired and sought after players in world football, Salah has taken the Premier League by storm with the Reds since arriving from Roma in 2017, blasting his way to 111 top tier goals in just 165 appearances.

With European heavyweights Barcelona, Juventus and Bayern Munich all being credited with an interest in the Egyptian ace over the past few months, the Reds are under mounting pressure to tie their star man down to a new contract.

Speaking to Football Insider, ex-footballer Frank McAvennie took a pop at Liverpool for letting the process drag on, and argued: "How is this not sorted yet? I expect they haven’t been talking while he’s been away with Egypt (at AFCON).

“He was fully focused on the AFCON and he will be gutted that he didn’t win that. There is nothing in the way of these talks now so Liverpool will want him back at the negotiating table as soon as possible.

“He said he’s not asking for anything crazy, the whole thing is getting ridiculous now. He’s the best player in the world, just pay him what he wants. I have a feeling there will some teams who want to sign him.

“If Liverpool are going to get Salah back to the table, they should just sign off on the demands. It’s a no brainer.”

What’s the latest with Salah’s contract situation?

As things stand, the 29-year-old superstar is said to be on wages of around £200k per week.

Reports regarding the specifics of his demands for a new contract range widely, with some offering a relatively conservative estimate of £300k, and others suggesting he's after a whopping £500k per week - a pay rise that would see him become the second highest earner in the division behind - yes, you guessed it - Cristiano Ronaldo.

Last month, Salah spoke out on his future in an interview with GQ magazine. The ex-Chelsea man said: "I want to stay, but it’s not in my hands. It’s in their (Liverpool's) hands They know what I want - I’m not asking for crazy stuff.

“The thing is, when you ask for something and they show you they can give you something because they appreciate what you did for the club. I’ve been here for my fifth year here now. I know the club very well. I love the fans. The fans love me. But with the administration, they have [been] told the situation. It’s in their hands.”

Evidently, there's still some work to do before Salah signs the dotted line and commits his future to the Reds.

The Liverpool star is available for tonight's Premier League clash against Leicester City, and could be handed a start despite his manager Jurgen Klopp suggesting the Egypt talisman is still struggling to process his side's dispiriting AFCON final loss to Senegal last weekend.

As things stand, the Reds are second in the Premier League table with 12 points currently separating them from league leaders Manchester City.

However, Liverpool have two games in hand, and could half the deficit and keep the title race alive should they manage to win both of them.