'I don't know - we will see'

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says he does not know if Mohamed Salah’s fine recent form will make negotiating a new contract with the Egyptian easier or harder.

Salah, 29, is under contract until 2023 but his future has been a talking point in recent months as a number of key players have signed new deals.

He has made his importance to the team emphatically clear in recent weeks, scoring seven goals in eight league games - including stunning individual efforts against Manchester City and Watford in consecutive matches.

Klopp says Salah deserves to win the Ballon d’Or but when asked if his form makes a new deal easier or more complex, Klopp puffed out his cheeks and simply said: "I don’t know - we will see."

The German added: “Internally, he always got recognition; externally, I don’t know. After the two goals he scored, people think now because of that he could be the best in the world – a bit strange. He has performed for years at a high level."