The biggest compliment you can pay any footballer is to mention them in the same sentence as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

And that is exactly what is happening with Mohamed Salah - and rightly so.

The Egyptian has scored 43 goals for Liverpool this season since his £37m move from Roma, helping the Reds to a Champions League semi-final with a place in the final beckoning.

And many are touting him to be the first player to break the duopoly of Messi and Ronaldo winning the Ballon d’Or.

The last player to have won the individual award since these two superstars took over football was Kaka all the way back in 2007.

Could Salah be the man to end Messi and Ronaldo’s stranglehold on the prize?

Well, even if he doesn’t, he certainly has attracted interest from around the world with his stunning form this campaign.

COULD SALAH LEAVE LIVERPOOL IN THE SUMMER?

And while Liverpool might be enjoying it for now, they could have an almighty struggle to keep hold of him come the summer.

Real Madrid are already being linked with a move for Salah and, given the fact the club have lost the likes of Fernando Torres, Luis Suarez, Raheem Sterling and Philippe Coutinho in recent years, you couldn’t blame Liverpool fans for being a little bit worried heading into the transfer window.

But they’ve got nothing to worry about - at least for this summer anyway.

That’s according to Salah’s former Chelsea teammate Cesc Fabregas.

He doesn’t believe Salah will be leaving Liverpool this summer - mainly because no club could afford him.

"Right now, if you are Liverpool and considering the season he has had, I don't know how much you can ask for a player like him," Fabregas told Spanish radio station Cadena Cope.

"I doubt that there is a club that can pay what Liverpool would ask for Salah. I'm sure Liverpool will not let him go easily. It's hard to see Salah leaving Liverpool, at least this year.”

Fabregas also believes that Liverpool is the best place for him right now, with Jurgen Klopp working wonders to get the very best out of him.

"Liverpool exploit his qualities to the maximum. Salah is talented, he is fast, he scores. Liverpool have players that open the doors to find Salah the space he needs," Fabregas added.

"He has found the right place, the ideal time to shine, and he is doing a great job."

And you have to agree with Fabregas.

If Neymar was worth €222m last summer, you’ve got say Salah is worth a similar amount.

Paris Saint-Germain certainly can’t afford to shell out another ridiculous fee and it remains to be seen whether Real Madrid would pay that sort of money. But it’s highly unlikely.

And with Liverpool losing Coutinho in January, there’s simply no way they’d let another star leave just a few months later.

And why would Salah want to leave when he's in Ballon d'Or winning form and - potentially - reaching a Champions League final?