Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says the delay in agreeing a new contract with Mo Salah is "completely normal".
The Egyptian forward's current Anfield contract expires in the summer of 2023, and talks over a renewal have slowed to a snail's pace.
Salah has made no secret of his desire to stay with a club for whom he's helped delivered a Premier League title and a Champions League.
19 goals in 20 games so far this term have seen the 29-year old's name enter the conversation of world's best player.
“I said it several times, if the decision is up to me, I want to stay in Liverpool," Salah has told MBC Masr TV in his native Egypt.
"But the decision is in the hands of the management and they have to solve this issue.”
The impasse has led to concerns that Salah could be tempted by a move back to the continent.
But his Liverpool manager remains unruffled by the delay, telling Monday's press conference in Milan, "You know exactly what Mo is about.
"We're talking and extending a contract with a player like Mo is not something where you meet for a cup of tea in the afternoon and find an agreement. That's completely normal.
"There's really nothing else to say about Mo. He speaks about it and I can only say a few things because all the rest is not for the public, obviously.
"But I'm not sure if he gave the interview in English or it was translated [wrongly] and arrived in English and that is an issue we saw in the last few days again.
"So really a lot of things can happen when someone tries to do that and Mo is fine, I am fine. I think what we all want is clear and things like this need time, that is it."
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