Alan Shearer has warned Liverpool that Mohamed Salah could soon become affected by the ongoing lack of clarity over his long-term future. Salah has been in outstanding form this season with 25 goals and 17 assists in 33 appearances with 20 strikes coming in the Premier League.

The 32-year-old, though, is still to agree a new contract at Anfield with his present deal due to expire at the end of the campaign, and as it stands will depart on a free transfer in the summer.

Both Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are in a similar situation, with Van Dijk and Salah having intimated they want to stay at the club while Alexander-Arnold has remained silent on the matter amid interest from Real Madrid.

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And Premier League record scorer Shearer, now a television pundit, believes the longer Salah's situation remains unsettled, the greater the possibility of doubt creeping into the mind of the forward, with the same applying to Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold.

"Arne Slot has been speaking about the contract situation with Salah and the big question is: What is going to happen?" he said. "I honestly haven't got a clue what the hold up is, why he won't sign... they've also got Trent and Van Dijk in that position but it's not affecting their play at this moment in time.

"I said a few months ago that when it hits January, February and March, as an elite athlete you have to be at it all the time but if you're coming towards the end of your contract and you still haven't signed, there has to be a tiny bit of you that thinks 'what if the worst happens here?' in terms of injuries.

"What their minds are thinking I don't know but it's not affecting them or Liverpool yet."

Shearer, meanwhile, believes Salah will be a front-runner for the next Ballon d'Or should Liverpool claim the Premier League and Champions League.

"Salah got another two goals at the weekend (at Bournemouth) and he's having a great season," the ex-England international said to Betfair. "If Liverpool were to win the Premier League and Champions League, and you wouldn't put it past them, then he could be on for the Ballon d'Or.

"How do you stop him? Perhaps a little bit of luck, you've got to double and sometimes treble up which is very difficult because you leave the space for other players. It's going to be really difficult to stop him."