Jamie Carragher has fired a warning to Liverpool owners FSG over the future of Mohamed Salah - with the Reds icon admitting that losing the talisman would be unforgivable.
Salah has evolved into one of Europe's top players since he returned to the Premier League in a £34million deal back in 2017.
His importance to Liverpool was further highlighted in Thursday night's Carabao Cup semi-final with Arsenal. With Salah away on international duty with Egypt for the African Cup of Nations, the Reds struggled to find a cutting edge in the 0-0 draw with the Gunners, who were forced to play with ten men for the majority of the match after Granit Xhaka's early dismissal.
That leaves Liverpool with work to do in the return leg when they'll also be without the likes of Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita.
Speculation over Salah's future has resurfaced in recent weeks with the 29-year-old now inside the final 18 months of his contract - and Carragher urged FSG to find a resolution to the current contract stand-off "as quickly as possible".
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"Those two players [Salah and Mane] are obviously a big miss and this talk of Salah's contract will probably intensify even more because when he is not there, you see the effect it has," Carragher told Sky Sports after the match.
"As a Liverpool supporter, you should be wary that this is dragging on. Other big players at Liverpool have signed contracts in the last three or four months, the goalkeeper [ Alisson ], Trent [Alexander-Arnold], Virgil van Dijk, huge figures in this team.
"Salah wants to be paid as well as any top player in the Premier League or world football, and why shouldn't he? He deserves that, we're talking about one of the best players in the world.
"The problem, and the angle Liverpool may be looking at it from, is where Salah would go? The Spanish giants are really out of the equation now given the problems they have financially. Would Salah leave and ruin his legacy by going to Manchester City or Manchester United? Probably not, so that's probably Liverpool's bargaining chip.
"I would love this deal to be done as quickly as possible. You cannot forget the price Liverpool signed Salah for. It wasn't as if they went and spent £100million, they did what they are great at and did a brilliant deal. The money they have invested in him already - transfer fee and wages - has been a snip.
"This is not a case of giving the player exactly what he wants, but Liverpool Football Club and the owners, I don't think they would be forgiven if Salah left this club in the summer or in 18 months' time.
"He's a Liverpool legend, one of the greatest players the club has ever had, and it needs to be sorted sooner rather than later."
Since arriving at Anfield in the summer of 2017, Salah has been one of the Premier League's most prolific and consistent players, but he seems to have taken his game to another level this year.
The Merseyside magician has notched an incredible 23 goals and nine assists in just 26 appearances this season; backing up claims from some people who believe that Salah is the best player in the world right now.
But despite his sizzling form, there's seemingly still no new contract on the horizon.
And Salah admitted that the ball was in FSG's court this week in regards to his future when he reiterated his desire to stay at the club.
“I want to stay, but it’s not in my hands,” Salah told GQ earlier this week.
“It’s in their hands. They know what I want. I’m not asking for crazy stuff.
“I’ve been here for my fifth year now. I know the club very well. I love the fans. The fans love me.
“The administration [know] the situation. It’s in their hands.”
