Mohamed Salah has been told he is an unfortunate victim of football's "obsession" with the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo rivalry.
The Egyptian forward has been in scintillating form for Liverpool this season, already bagging 20 goals so far in just 21 appearances.
His strike against AC Milan on Tuesday took his recent tally to five in his last six games, equalling a 34-year record held by Liverpool's all-time top goalscorer Ian Rush in the process.
Salah's current form has led many to suggest he is the world's best player, yet he was only placed in seventh in the 2021 Ballon d'Or vote last month - a result which he found laughable.
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And former Newcastle and England legend Alan Shearer believes it is purely down to the long running dominance of Ronaldo and Messi - the latter of whom was crowned winner for a seventh time - that Salah did not have a greater claim for the award.
Speaking to The Athletic, the Premier League's all-time leading scorer said: "Mohamed Salah is the best in the world right now. The best goalscorer and the best player, full stop.
"The little magician is doing his stuff in the best league in the world and he’s doing it the against the best teams and in the biggest games. Week-in week-out, year-in year-out, Salah performs magic.
"How he came seventh in the latest Ballon d’Or voting is anybody’s guess. There’s an obsession with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, which is understandable given how dominant they’ve been over the modern era, but if you gave me a choice of any player for my team it would be Salah."
Shearer went on to add that Salah was "setting new standards" and is now at the "peak of his powers".
Boss Jurgen Klopp admitted he was "surprised" Salah had not finished higher in the Ballon d'Or standings, but will no doubt be more concerned by the speculation surrounding the superstar's contract.
Salah's current deal is due to expire in 2023, still giving Liverpool ample time to negotiate an extension, though there appears to be an impasse between both camps.
It is thought Salah's agent, Ramy Abbas Issa, is pushing for a mega-money contract which would see his client become the highest paid player in the Premier League.
But Salah, 29, insists it is not only the financial element of his contract which he is considering.
"I said it several times, if the decision is up to me, I want to stay in Liverpool," Salah stated after Liverpool's win over Wolves on Saturday. "But the decision is in the hands of the management and they have to solve this issue.
"There is no problem but we have to reach an agreement for the contract. It’s up to them.
"Your financial value shows how much the club appreciates you and that they are ready to do anything for you to stay, but the decision itself is not based on those financial matters only.
"There are things like the ambition of the team and the coach and what he wants to do with the team and the players he wants.
"These are all important points when making the decision."
