'Mohamed Salah is UNHAPPY at Liverpool and he could leave the club in January'

MOHAMED SALAH is unhappy at Liverpool and could join Real Madrid as soon as January, according to Paul Merson.

Salah scored twice to reach a half-century of Liverpool goals in midweek in a comfortable victory over Red Star Belgrade.

But he looked miserable afterwards - barely celebrating his strikes - and Merson thinks that is a clue to how he is feeling at Anfield.

"I can't remember the last player to say 'no' to Real Madrid or Barcelona. It's another level.

"Salah doesn't look happy at Liverpool at the moment and we've seen this before.

"I watched him score against Huddersfield and his body language looked terrible. That would worry me if I was a Liverpool fan.

But this is what happens when you're successful in the Premier League. The even bigger clubs come calling."

Any move would see Salah become team-mates with Sergio Ramos, the man who left him sprawled on the pitch and who crushed his Champions League dreams.

But Merson said: "There was plenty of bad blood after last season's final with what happened between Salah and Sergio Ramos. But would that stop him going there if they come in for him? No chance.

"Liverpool look like they could be around for a long time with the team they have now. So losing such a big part of if would be devastating for the fans.

"But I wouldn't be shocked if Real Madrid make a big bid in January, and you know how these things work, there might already be some contact."

Liverpool play Cardiff in the Premier League today and Merson was asked on Sky Sports if Salah would benefit more from having Xherdan Shaqiri in the side.

He said: “Very much so. I think if you look at Liverpool’s midfield - Henderson, Milner, Wijnaldum. They haven’t got that ball in them what Shaqiri had last weekend (against Huddersfield).

“I think it would be a big difference, but with Shaqiri in the team, they’re not as solid.

“You need to be solid because you can say to that front three ‘you lot get on with it and I’ve got three solid midfield players and a good back four’, they’ll win more games than often for you.

“I think if Shaqiri comes in the team it sort of stretches the game, he’s not as disciplined as the other three.

“You don’t need to get into a ‘you have a shot, we have a shot’ game when you’ve got them three up front.”