Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has the Midas Touch... so expect an audacious Real Madrid transfer bid - Garth Crooks

Liverpool fans should prepare themselves for the prospect of losing Mohamed Salah to Real Madrid after the Egypt star's "extraordinary" season, says Garth Crooks.

Salah scored four goals in Liverpool's 5-0 win over Watford on Saturday, taking the lead in the Premier League Golden Boot race with 28 goals so far this season - four more than Tottenham striker Harry Kane.

The 25-year-old is now just two League goals off 30 for the 2017-18 season - a feat which has been achieved only nine times before in the Premier League era, by seven different players.

With 36 goals in all competitions for his club, Salah has been compared with Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi by his coach Jurgen Klopp.

But due to Salah's stunning campaign, former Tottenham forward Crooks believes that the Egyptian could follow Gareth Bale's example by leaving the Premier League for the Bernabeu if he continues this form.

"Everything this man touches seems to turn to gold," he wrote in his BBC Sport column.

"Thirty-six goals in 41 appearances for Liverpool is quite extraordinary.

"Former Liverpool greats like Peter Thompson and Steve Heighway never got anywhere near that return.

"Liverpool fans may have to brace themselves, however, for an audacious bid from Real Madrid in the summer.

"This lad is having the same impact across Europe as Gareth Bale had in his final season at Tottenham.

"And we all know what happened after that."

Real Madrid have a history of poaching the top talent in the Premier League, with the likes of Bale, Luka Modric, Xabi Alonso, Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham all making the switch to Spain at the peak of their powers.

Liverpool fans will also be well aware that Real's fierce rivals Barcelona have made a recent habit of signing Anfield's top attackers, with Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho now plying their trade at the Camp Nou.

Klopp said of Salah followinh his four-goal haul against Watford: "Mo is on the way, that's good. I don't think that Mo or anybody else wants to be compared with Lionel Messi.

"He (Messi) has been doing what he's been doing for what feels like 20 years or so... the last player I know who had the same influence on a team performance was Diego Maradona."

"Mo is on a fantastic way... but how it always is in life, if you have the skills then you have to show it constantly.

"His consistency is good for us. He helps us a lot, the boys love playing with him, he loves playing with them, so it's good."

Additional reporting by Reuters.