Although Mohamed Salah has been vague about his future in recent seasons, he has made no secret of his desire to play in La Liga.
The Egyptian previously singled out Real Madrid as a "top club" and remains perpetually linked with a move to the Spanish capital.
Salah has just over two years remaining on the long-term contract he signed at Anfield in 2018, after his record-breaking 44-goal debut season with the Reds.
The winger's deadly eye for goal has shown no sign of letting up and he is the joint-top goalscorer in the top flight this campaign with 17 goals in 28 games.
Salah collected his first piece of silverware with Liverpool as they beat Tottenham to clinch Champions League glory in 2019, and exit rumours emerged as he was still celebrating the triumph in Madrid.
In the immediate aftermath of the match, he was accosted by the Spanish press over a move to Real Madrid and told Movistar : "Now I cannot talk about my future."
Speculation died down as Salah netted 19 times to help the Reds end their 30-year wait for a league title last season.
But transfer frenzy returned with a vengeance thanks to the 28-year-old's eye-opening interview with Diario AS in December 2020.
"I think Madrid and Barcelona are two top clubs. Who knows what will happen in the future," Salah told the Spanish outlet.
"But right now I am focused on winning the Premier League and the Champions League with Liverpool again."
The former Roma star added fuel to the fire by saying he was "very disappointed" by Jurgen Klopp's decision not to hand him the captain's armband against Midtjylland in the Champions League earlier that month.
But Salah was typically coy regarding his contract situation and insisted the ball was in Liverpool's court.
Asked how much longer he sees himself at Anfield, he responded: "That's a tough question, but right now I can say that everything is in the hands of the club.
"Of course I want to break records here and, I repeat, all the club records, but everything is in the hands of the club."
Speculation has only intensified since the turn of the year, with former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon claiming "Salah is wanted by Real Madrid ".
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Although he has been a standout performer for Liverpool during a dismal season, Salah also escalated speculation with his angry reaction to being substituted in the 1-0 defeat by Chelsea, with his agent adding to the drama by tweeting a full stop.
The Reds suffered another home defeat three days later - at the hands of relegation-threatened Fulham - but have rallied in their last two games. Klopp steered his side to the Champions League quarter-finals with an aggregate 4-0 victory over RB Leipzig and they returned to winning ways in the Premier League with a 1-0 win at Wolves.
The subsequent Champions League draw pitted Liverpool against Real Madrid in a rematch of the 2018 final, during which Salah went off injured in a 3-1 defeat.
In his latest interview ahead of the mouth-watering quarter-final, he has doubled down on his stance that his future is out of his hands, but again hinted at a future move to Spain.
"It's not up to me. We will see what happens, but I prefer not to talk about that right now," said Salah this week of a potential La Liga transfer.
"I hope to be able to play for many more years, so why not? No one knows what is going to happen in the future, so maybe one day, yes."
Salah's latest comments will leave Anfield chiefs scratching their heads. On the surface, they are in a relatively strong position with the Egyptian still under contract for two more years, but it is clear he may want to move to Spain in the future.
Salah remains as vital to Klopp's plans as ever and the Liverpool boss said earlier this year: "He is a very, very important player for us and hopefully he will be that for a very long time of course."
While Jamie Carragher claims Liverpool will struggle to recoup "big money" for a player turning 29 this summer, others say the Reds should strive to cash in on Salah while they can.
Klopp sold Philippe Coutinho when he was agitating for a move in January 2018 and Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards used the funds raised to sign Virgil van Dijk and Alisson.
These recruits transformed the Reds into a title-winning side, and by selling Salah they would be able to target youthful signings who could inject renewed impetus into a side which has struggled this season.
Meanwhile, former Los Blancos president Calderon does not share Carragher's view and claimed Salah still has "fantastic potential".
Zinedine Zidane is believed to be keen on a signing a new forward, with the likes of Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr. underperforming and Eden Hazard plagued by injuries.
Salah would certainly improve Real Madrid's starting XI and, as mentioned, he appears to be keen on the move - but the Spanish club's finances are what may hold up the transfer. Los Blancos are in a total debt of £770million and it remains to be seen if they will be able to sanction big-money transfers this summer.
The shrewd move may be to wait another season and swoop for Salah when he has one year remaining on his deal.
By that stage, the player may have his heart set on a new challenge after five seasons at Anfield - just as his teammate Georginio Wijnaldum appears to have.
Salah would also be available for a more reasonable fee with 12 months remaining on his deal, paving the way for him to finally secure a move to the Santiago Bernabeu.
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