Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas has hailed former teammate Mohamed Salah for his extraordinary season and said he does not expect him to leave Liverpool any time soon.

Salah has scored 43 goals in 47 games in all competitions and been named PFA Player of the Year in a dazzling debut campaign following his summer arrival from Roma.

"I coincided with Salah in my first season at Chelsea [2014-15] before he left for Fiorentina," Fabregas told Cadena Cope radio.

"He was young, he hardly played, but you could already see that he had talent. He always worked very hard and he gave his all."

Salah made 20 appearances for Chelsea before loan spells in Italy at Fiorentina and Roma, who later made the move permanent, and Fabregas said he had found the right environment under Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.

"Football is a lot about confidence," he said. "The confidence that a coach can give you nowadays to achieve your best form is key.

"It is for a coach to play you in the right position, to help you, to make you improve -- this is crucial. That's happened to Salah.

"Liverpool exploit his qualities to the maximum. Salah is talented, he is fast, he scores. Liverpool have players that open the doors to find Salah the space he needs.

"He has found the right place, the ideal time to shine, and he is doing a great job."

Salah has been linked with Real Madrid, but Fabregas said: "Right now if you are Liverpool and considering the season he has had, I don't know how much you can ask for a player like him.

"I doubt that there is a club that can pay what Liverpool would ask for Salah. I'm sure Liverpool will not let him go easily.

"It's hard to see Salah leaving Liverpool, at least this year."