Liverpool news: 'Salah just behind Messi and Ronaldo; Liverpool should win trophies to keep him', says former Reds star

What's the story?

Former Liverpool winger Luis Garcia believes that Mohamed Salah is just behind the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and if his former club wants to keep the Egyptian at Anfield, they should begin winning trophies rather than just compete for them.

In case you didn't know

Despite being initially pegged to be a 'one-season wonder', Salah is enjoying yet another incredible campaign with 21 league goals and 8 assists for the club.

The Egyptian sits at the top of the goal-scoring charts in the league but faces tough competition from Manchester City's Sergio Aguero and teammate Sadio Mane.

Salah's goal-scoring exploits have helped Liverpool to second place on the Premier League table, as the club continues to get the better of defending champions Manchester City, who currently sit at the top of the league.

The 26-year-old has been heavily linked with moves to LaLiga, with Real Madrid reported to be very interested in his services.

The heart of the matter

Garcia puts Salah just behind five-time Ballon d'Or winners Ronaldo and Messi and believes Liverpool must do whatever it takes to win trophies so that they can keep the Egyptian at Merseyside.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, the 2005 Champions League winner said, "If Liverpool wins trophies then I think it will be much easier for the club to keep Mo Salah. We know that Barcelona and Real Madrid will be in the market for the best players in the summer. And if you talk about the best players in the world right now then Mo Salah must be included."

"I have seen the talk that Barca and Madrid are interested in him and we have seen in the past with [Luis] Suarez and [Philippe] Coutinho how difficult it is for players to say ‘no’ when they get the chance to sign for one of those clubs."

Garcia acknowledged the title-winning spirit at Barcelona and Real Madrid and admits that while Salah would be a star in either one of the clubs, Liverpool have also evolved into a side capable of winning trophies.

"At this moment, though, I think Liverpool are a different club than what they were. Last year they reached the Champions League final. This time they are challenging for the Premier League and the Champions League. They are now a club with the potential to win the big trophies."

"If Barcelona or Real Madrid come you will be flattered. They are probably the only two teams that a Liverpool player would think about signing for."

"As a player, you want to win trophies. If you sign for Real Madrid or Barcelona you know you are going to win trophies. At this moment, Liverpool are also a club that gives you the chance to win trophies - and they will now want to take that final step. There is no doubt that Salah would be a star at Real Madrid or Barcelona because he has such fantastic quality."

The former Reds star added, "I have heard people compare him to Messi. For me, that is a little too much, but he does have that speed and skill and he could perform for any team in the world. In my opinion, he is just behind Messi and Ronaldo – at the same level as [Eden] Hazard and [Raheem] Sterling."

What's next?

Liverpool are set to travel to Camp Nou where they will face Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final fixture on May 1.