Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hopes Mohamed Salah stays at Anfield beyond this season amid his ongoing contract stand-off.

The Egyptian's current deal is due to run out at the end of this campaign, and he has been outspoken about the fact he could leave the club.

Salah has enjoyed a stellar season so far, registering 31 Premier League goal involvements (18 goals, 13 assists), a league-high.

Of those goals this term, 16 have come in the second half of games. In the competition's history, only Salah himself has scored more for Liverpool after half-time in a single campaign (18 in 2017-18).

Only seven players have created more chances than Salah in the Premier League this season (38), while he has had the third-most shots in the division (74) behind Erling Haaland and Antoine Semenyo.

Klopp, who signed Salah from Roma in June 2017, hopes the striker will extend his stay at Anfield.

"I hope he stays. He is the biggest striker Liverpool had in modern times - obviously, there were other good strikers, really good strikers!" Klopp said at his first press conference as Red Bull’s head of global soccer.

"But a fantastic player, fantastic human being, outstanding athlete, best ambassador your country could have.

"Fantastic, really in pretty much all departments. So, I hope he will stay at Liverpool."

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk are also in the final six months of their contracts, with the former being linked with a move to Real Madrid.

Klopp also brought the Dutchman to the club and promoted Alexander-Arnold, who came under fierce criticism due to his performance against Manchester United earlier this month, to the first team, with both playing big roles in helping Liverpool to the top of the Premier League this season.

"I'm so happy they're doing well," Klopp said. "I'm in contact with Arne [Slot] and some players texting. There's 0.1% thinking I should still be there, as they are doing so well.

"I am watching as many games as I can as it is such good football, maybe the best-balanced team in the world right now.

"I am so happy I am not in charge right now to answer these questions and, from my point of view, I hope all three extend, but they did not tell me."

After leaving Liverpool at the end of last season, Klopp was named in his new role at Red Bull, officially beginning the job on January 1.

Asked if he would take any of the three Liverpool players out of contract at Red Bull, Klopp joked: "Virgil, I'm sure, would love five more years at Liverpool, then 41, 42!

"Mo, we would have no chance to pay his wages. Trent? Yeah, then he can learn defending. It's so poor, it's so poor really.

"I'm happy I'm not answering it, I'm watching the press conferences when he had to talk about thinking.

"Yes, he didn't play well against Man United, but if you would make a fuss when he plays well, when he doesn't it would be a cool planet."