Arne Slot has joked that Mohamed Salah “knows about the 115 charges” when responding to a future question with a Manchester City relegation teaser.
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Egyptian's contract continues to run down
May have faced City for last time at Anfield
Reds boss cracks FFP joke at Blues' expense
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Reigning champions City have slipped 11 points off the pace in this season’s Premier League title race, with a 2-0 defeat at Anfield last time out extending their winless run to seven games – the worst sequence of Pep Guardiola’s managerial career.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Liverpool are top of the pile, as they seek to secure domestic dominance in Slot’s debut campaign as boss, but questions are being asked of how long the likes of Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk will be sticking around as their respective contracts run down towards free agency in 2025.
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WHAT SLOT SAID
It has been suggested that Salah may have played his final game at Anfield against City, as he is linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League, but Slot has responded to more probing on the Egyptian’s future by telling reporters: “Maybe Mo knows more about the 115 charges, so he expects them not to be in the Premier League next season. I do expect them in the Premier League. The boring answer is always the same, this is not the place for me to talk about Mo’s contract and maybe I have already said too much about the joke I just made. It was a joke. I repeat, a joke.”
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WHAT NEXT?
Salah’s record against City is mightily impressive, and he will face them again at the Etihad Stadium in February 2025. It remains to be seen what happens after that, with the 32-year-old yet to discuss an extension to his terms on Merseyside while the Blues face the supposed threat of points deductions or possible demotion out of the Premier League in their long-running, 115-charge Financial Fair Play (FFP) saga.
Looking to get one over on Manchester United and Dan Ashworth this summer, Newcastle United have reportedly made contact with an in-demand midfield reinforcement.
Newcastle transfer news
Just 10 days until the new Premier League campaign gets underway, Newcastle's list of arrivals is still fairly underwhelming. John Ruddy, Lloyd Kelly, Lewis Hall and Odysseas Vlachodimos hardly suggest that a return to the Champions League football is on the cards, but there's still time for that to change through the arrival of Marc Guehi.
Imagine him & Isak: Newcastle hold talks over "world class" £51m sensation
He is available for transfer this summer
ByJoe Nuttall Aug 6, 2024
Those at St James' Park are now reportedly in talks to sign the Crystal Palace defender, even supposedly agreeing personal terms with the centre-back. His arrival would add some star power to their summer whilst handing Eddie Howe quite the defensive boost. And he might not be the only name through the door before the transfer window slams shut at the end of the month.
Sheffield United youngster William Osula is reportedly on the verge of completing a move worth £15m with add-ons. It is, however, a midfielder who could steal the headlines.
According to CalcioMercato, Newcastle have held talks to sign Adrien Rabiot, who has been a free agent since leaving Juventus at the end of last season. The Frenchman, who has a league title to his name in Italy to go with the six he won at PSG, has also attracted interest from both Liverpool and Manchester United.
Earning a reported £145,000-a-week before he left Turin, even without a transfer fee Rabiot would not come cheap. That said, given Sandro Tonali's likely rustiness after his ban as well as ongoing doubts over Bruno Guimareaes' long-term future, Rabiot could prove to be worth every penny at St James' Park.
The former Juventus man is a serial winner who has won countless honours at both the Serie A giants and Paris Saint-Germain. Now 29 years old, he may yet get the chance to step into the Premier League.
"World-class" Rabiot would be an upgrade on Longstaff
If Newcastle want to make their return to the Champions League following last season's failure, then signing players of Rabiot's calibre is the way forward. The Frenchman, in a bargain deal, would be an instant upgrade on Longstaff. Meanwhile, when Tonali returns, and if he hits the ground running, Howe could suddenly have quite the trio in Rabiot, Guimaraes and the Italian.
Progressive Carries
72
24
Progressive Passes
120
145
Tackles Won
39
30
Ball Recoveries
150
120
A player who's defensively better than Longstaff whilst outperforming the Newcastle man in some areas on the ball on top of bringing a wealth of experience to the table, Rabiot is one that should make sense for the Magpies this summer.
Whilst deciding his future at Juventus, the 29-year-old earned plenty of praise from the legendary David Trezeguet, who said via JuveFC: "We are talking about a problem for Juventus because in Italy he may have been targeted for criticism, but in France it’s completely different. He is world class, an extraordinary player. Now he will evaluate his options and will go back to being the important player he always was.”
“It is all about what the team wants from me – and then go and contribute. And I am pretty much confident about that”
Sidharth Monga12-Feb-20212:37
Ajinkya Rahane: ‘I don’t need to worry about what happened in first Test’
Ajinkya Rahane is a man of few words. He keeps his assertions for on the field. On the eve of the second Test against England, though, he hit back at those questioning his batting, asking them to check his record. Rahane scored a resounding hundred in Melbourne, adjudged as the innings of the year by ESPNcricinfo, but either side of that knock have been 13 innings without reaching 50. More of a concern with Rahane is that his numbers are better away than at home, where he averages 37.75.”We are playing at home after two years,” Rahane pointed out. “We played last home series against South Africa. If you take that record out, you will find something over there. It is all about the team. It is not about any individual. My focus is completely on how I can contribute for my team. If you check out the last 10-15 Test matches about my individual performances, you will see some runs over there. I don’t need to worry about what is happening and what happened in the first Test match. It is all about what the team wants from me in this Test match. And then go and contribute. And I am pretty much confident about that.”Related
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Kohli: Don't jump the gun on India, or Rahane
The South Africa series that Rahane spoke about took place in October 2019. He scored a century and a fifty, averaging 72. In the series against Bangladesh that followed, he scored 86 and 51 in the two innings he got to play. In the most recent home Test, though, Rahane managed scores of 1 and 0.From being propped up as a full-time captaincy candidate to having his place questioned in the space of just one Test is some ride. Sanjay Manjrekar’s tweet summed it up: “My issue with Rahane the captain is Rahane the batsman. After that 100 in Melbourne his scores are – 27*, 22, 4, 37, 24, 1 and 0. After a 100, class players carry their form & carry the burden of players out of form.”However, Rahane enjoys full confidence from the full-time captain, Virat Kohli. “Ajinkya, I have said this many a times in the past as well, along with Pujara, he is our most important Test batsman and he will continue to be as we believe in his abilities and he is an impact player,” Kohli said after the first Test. “If you are talking about MCG Test, he stood up and scored a hundred when the team wanted it most. You can look at number of innings and what happens from thereon, the reality is we won the series in Australia.”Here it is just one innings, and today you can put that innings aside but in the first innings he wanted to score a boundary and it was a brilliant catch by Joe [Root] that got rid of him. If that goes for a boundary and he scores runs, then we are not having this conversation, so there are absolutely no issues and everyone is playing really well. We just need to be focused a lot more and understand that Test victories are earned in any condition whether you are playing at home or away from home. Nothing is given in Test cricket, and we need to work together as a team and put in a lot of pressure on the opposition.”If Rahane is to get the criticism off his back in Chennai in the coming week, he will have to do in conditions more difficult than in the first Test. He himself said the pitch would turn much more. “[The pitch] looks completely different, I am sure it will turn from day one,” Rahane said. “We will have to wait and see how it behaves in the first session and take it from there. We have to forget what happened in the first Test and focus on this. Play good cricket. And we know these conditions really well. We have to put our best forward tomorrow and play as a team.”In the Bangalore Test that India beat Australia in, from a similar 1-0 deficit back in 2016-17, Rahane led the turnaround in partnership with Pujara. In that innings, Rahane unsettled Nathan Lyon with the sweep, a shot that England employed to good effect against India. Rahane was asked if that is a shot India are looking at.”It depends on what they bowl,” Rahane said. “What lines and lengths they bowl. Accordingly we play those shots. England came up with their plans of playing sweeps and reverse sweeps. It is not necessary that we are going to play similar shots. It is about what they bowl and how we actually attack their lines and lengths and play our game.”
Erik ten Hag bizarrely refused to count Manchester United's 3-0 loss to Tottenham as a refereeing error took centre stage at Old Trafford.
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United have had a troubled start to the campaignWent down 3-0 to Spurs at Old TraffordTen Hag ignores defeat due to rescinded red cardFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Ten Hag dismissed the loss against Tottenham, attributing it to refereeing decisions rather than the team's performance, as his side continues to grapple with inconsistent form and setbacks. The Dutch tactician asserted that the decision to send off Bruno Fernandes, which was later reversed, fundamentally skewed the game’s course, leaving United disadvantaged early on and unable to respond effectively.
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The clash with Tottenham began poorly for United, with Spurs taking the lead just three minutes in through Brennan Johnson’s goal. The situation worsened when Fernandes was shown a controversial red card for a tackle on James Maddison, leaving United down to 10 players for much of the match. Ange Postecoglou's men capitalised on United’s weakened defence, with Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke adding two more goals to complete the 3-0 victory.
WHAT TEN HAG SAID
Speaking to reporters, Ten Hag said: "I deny and ignore the game against Spurs because we were down to 10 at 1-0. That is not a fair assessment to the team to take this into consideration, because we didn't have the chance to bounce back."
United’s difficulties extend to European competitions as well. After the draw against Porto and Fenerbahce, the team have now gone a full year without securing a victory in continental tournaments, compounding the pressure on Ten Hag.
Nevertheless, the manager emphasised: "You see this team is resilient. The team is determined. Brentford, two tough away games in Europe – this team has character and shows fighting spirit and determination to win games."
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DID YOU KNOW?
United's record this season speaks of a broader struggle. The team has suffered three league defeats so far, with heavy losses to Tottenham, Liverpool and Brighton and their slender 2-1 win over Brentford remains their only victory in the last seven games across all competitions.
Liverpool are yet to conclude any business since Arne Slot took over as manager but fear not, we are still a while yet from the Premier League recommending in August.
Tears were shed when Jurgen Klopp departed Anfield in May, but this is a great chance for a reset in Merseyside.
Manchester City and Arsenal have been the dominant sides in the top-flight over the last two years but it's time that Slot put the Reds back in the conversation.
Feyenoord's Arne Slot
They fell away towards the end of last term but with some more firepower and more defensive solidity, they should be right back up there.
So, who could they sign? Well, they've already turned down Newcastle star Anthony Gordon, although there is a belief according to reports that they could go back in for him.
Another player happens to be his England colleague Marc Guehi.
The latest on Marc Guehi's future
Next summer could see three vital players leave Anfield behind. All of Mo Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk are out of contract. Of the three, you sense that Salah could be the first to jump ship.
Mohamed Salah for Liverpool
However, if the latter takes his leave, they will need reinforcements. They may even need them before he departs.
One option could be Crystal Palace's Guehi. Slapped with an asking price of £65m, he has been the subject of interest from Liverpool in recent weeks, although considering his performances at Euro 2024, his signature could now be harder to obtain.
There also appears to be interest from Tottenham so if Richard Hughes and Co do make a move, it won't be straightforward to get over the line.
What Heskey has said about Marc Guehi
Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast on behalf of 888sport, Emile Heskey chatted to us about Liverpool's recruitment for this summer.
Asked about Guehi's displays, he was left incredibly impressed with the centre-back's level of performance in Germany this summer.
Although suspended for the quarter-final clash with Switzerland, he has been a rock at the heart of England's backline, taking Harry Maguire's left-centre back role and making it his own.
"He has looked so composed and assured," Heskey began. "I’ve been very impressed with him and he’s been one of England’s best players of the tournament so far. He has been solid in every game and formed an excellent partnership with John Stones at centre-back."
Games played
4
Clean sheets
2
Touches *
91.8
Pass accuracy
93%
Interceptions *
0.5
Tackles *
0.5
Ball recoveries *
5
Duels won *
4
Yellow cards
2
The defender has only been a bit part of England squads in recent international breaks but he has now become a mainstay, something that has left the former Liverpool striker gushing.
Heskey continued: "Not playing a competitive game for England before at a major tournament, you have to say Guehi has been mightily impressive with the calmness he has shown throughout each game so far in the competition."
So, would he be a good signing for Slot? Heskey – who played for the Three Lions on 62 occasions – concluded: "He would be superb alongside Van Dijk. There is no better centre-back to learn from than him and it would take his game to the next level.
"Guehi has been so comfortable bringing the ball out from defence, he has good pace as well, so this would work well at Liverpool should it happen."
The Palace star did struggle with injury last term but featured on 25 occasions in the league, also captaining the club at times.
Emile Heskey backs Liverpool to sign "exciting" £70m PL star
Emile Heskey was speaking to Football FanCast this week.
دافع أسطورة آرسنال عن مهاجم الفريق فيكتور جيوكيريس، وذلك بعدما ظهر الأخير بشكل باهت خلال مواجهة الجانرز يوم أمس الأحد مع مانشستر يونايتد بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.
آرسنال تعاقد مع جيوكيريس خلال صيف العام الحالي، قادمًا من صفوف سبورتينج لشبونة مقابل 64 مليون جنيه إسترليني.
لكن جيوكريس لعب بشكل سييء خلال مواجهة آرسنال ومانشستر يونايتد يوم أمس الأحد، والتي فاز بها آرسنال بهدف دون رد.
تابع .. روي كين: شرط واحد يحول لقب الدوري الإنجليزي من آرسنال إلى ليفربول هذا الموسم
لكن فريدي ليونبيرج، أسطورة آرسنال، دافع عن جيوكيريس، حيث يرى الدولي السويدي السابق أن مهاجم لشبونة السابق قادر على تسجيل أكثر من 20 هدفًا لصالح الجانرز هذا الموسم.
وقال ليونبيرج في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “مترو”: “لقد كان يومًا صعبًا بالنسبة لجيوكيريس في لقاء الأمس، من الواضح أنه يريد تسجيل الأهداف، والجماهير تريد رؤيته يسجل الأهداف”.
وأضاف ليونبيرج في حديثه: ”لقد قلتها سابقًا وسأكررها، هذا هو الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، وليس الدوري البرتغالي، لكن يمكنك أن ترى أنه يمتلك هذه الموهبة، لذلك لست قلقًا بشأن جيوكيريس”.
وأتم ليونبيرج عن جيوكيريس: ”أعتقد أنه سيسجل حوالي 20 هدفًا هذا الموسم وأكثر من ذلك إذا كسر صيامه التهديفي أولًا”.
وأحرز هدف آرسنال في لقاء الأمس ريكاردو كالافيوري، وذلك من كرة رأسية ليبدأ الجانرز موسمه بانتصار هام للغاية.
After missing out on Tosin Adarabioyo to Chelsea, Newcastle United could now reportedly turn their attention to a similar deal for Eddie Howe this summer.
Newcastle transfer news
The Magpies looked on course to land both Adarabioyo and Kelly, but it is now just the latter who is all but announced after Chelsea swooped in to turn the former's head in frustrating fashion for those at St James' Park. Nonetheless, Newcastle should at least remain on course to welcome Kelly in their second deal of the summer after Lewis Hall's obligation to turn his loan deal permanent was triggered throughout the season.
Both arrivals should help ease Howe's defensive depth problem, with Kelly's ability to play both left-back and centre-back a particularly welcome trait, given long-term injuries to both Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles. But, that's not to say the former Bournemouth player will be the only player helping to ease those injury blows this summer.
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ByEthan Lamb Jun 4, 2024
According to Graeme Bailey for HITC, Newcastle could make a move to sign Mario Hermoso on a free deal upon the expiry of his Atletico Madrid contract this summer, but face significant competition from Aston Villa, who are confident of winning the race to sign the defender in the coming months.
Mario Hermoso
Seemingly facing an uphill battle to secure Hermoso's signature, Newcastle may need to act fast to present the Spaniard with a suitable offer to match his reported £138k-a-week salary at Atletico Madrid, especially given their need for a central defender.
"Revelation" Hermoso can step up alongside Kelly
Replacing Botman, in particular, will be no easy task at St James' Park next season, but a player of Hermoso's calibre and experience could certainly be well-placed to do exactly that if Newcastle managed to win the race for his signature. The Atletico Madrid man enjoyed another solid campaign in La Liga, but with his contract up, a new challenge awaits.
Starts
29
15
Progressive Carries
1.37
0
Progressive Passes
6.23
2.29
Ball Recoveries
5.92
4.58
Aerial Duels Won
1.62
2.22
Hermoso's ability on the ball is particularly impressive and could even leave Botman or Fabian Schar in danger of losing their starting place when all three are available if he chooses St James' Park this summer. Competition for places would only benefit the Magpies, who will be desperate to make a return to European action next season.
The Premier League interest in Hermoso comes as no shock and is something that Zach Lowy may have seen coming when he lavished the defender during his Porto days. Dubbing the Spaniard a "revelation", Lowy could now see Hermoso taking his biggest step yet by moving to either Aston Villa or Newcastle this summer.
Nike have confirmed they are not sponsoring Mason Greenwood after the Marseille star was spotted sporting their boots against Lyon in Ligue 1.
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Greenwood formerly sponsored by Nike
Recently spotted wearing their boots for Marseille
Company have confirmed he is not working with them
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Greenwood was pictured wearing colourful Nike boots while playing for Marseille in their win over Lyon at the weekend, having previously been sponsored by the sportswear giants. But Nike have confirmed that they are not working with the ex-Manchester United forward, ending speculation that they had signed a new deal with the 22-year-old.
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WHAT NIKE SAID
After being contacted by The Daily Mail about Greenwood, Nike simply responded: "Mason Greenwood is not a Nike athlete."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
According to the report, Greenwood was set to sign a new contract with Nike before they made the decision to drop him in February 2022, after he was arrested on charges of attempted rape, assault and coercive control – which were dropped in February 2023. It is believed that he was paid no compensation for losing the deal but was owed outstanding bonus payments.
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WHAT NEXT FOR GREENWOOD?
Greenwood remains a Marseille player under new head coach Roberto De Zerbi and has netted five goals in as many Ligue 1 games in 2024-25. The club most recently beat rivals Lyon, despite playing much of the match with 10 men, and now sit top of the table. Marseille will next face Strasbourg on Sunday.
Oliver Glasner helped to transform Crystal Palace into one of the most exciting teams to watch in England towards the end of the season this year.
The Austrians' side became one of the most dangerous teams in the Premier League. They beat Newcastle United, Manchester United, and Aston Villa in their final five fixtures and looked ready to take on anyone in the country.
However, the only downside to performing so well is that the other sides start to look at your best players, and Palace are no different.
Crystal Palace star Michael Olise.
Michael Olise, who was already touted for a move away last summer, has seen his name connected with several clubs over the last few months, from Arsenal to Manchester United. However, if he is to leave, it looks like the Eagles already have the perfect replacement lined up.
Crystal Palace transfer news
According to a report from the Mirror, Palace have identified Leeds United star Crysencio Summerville as the ideal signing should they lose Olise or Eberechi Eze this summer.
However, the report claims that, alongside the Eagles, Liverpool, Chelsea and Aston Villa, are keen on the Dutchman, which could complicate things.
That said, the good news is that the 22-year-old is valued at just £30m by the Peacocks, and due to their failure to win promotion last month, they will likely have to sell before the end of the month.
Leeds winger Crysencio Summerville.
It could be a tough deal to complete with the other interested parties, but for the price reported, this is a deal Palace cannot afford to miss if they lose Olise.
Why Summerville would be a great Olise replacement
So the first thing Glasner will be worried about in an Olise-less Palace team will likely be the goals and assists the Frenchman brings. After all, in just 19 league appearances this season, he found the back of the net ten times and provided six assists for good measure.
This is certainly an area Summerville can help out in.
In 49 games for Leeds this campaign, he scored 21 goals and provided ten assists, which means he averaged a goal involvement every 1.58 games.
Appearances
49
19
Goals
21
10
Assists
10
6
Goal Involvements per Match
0.63
0.84
Such an impressive individual campaign lends some credence to data analyst Ben Mattinson's claim that the Dutchman could comfortably play at a "top 6 level."
Another key ability that the Rotterdam-born dynamo can bring to the table, which the man he could replace can't, is availability.
Since the start of the 2018/19 season, the "sensational" winger, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has missed just six games through injury, with five coming down to a groin strain he suffered last August.
In comparison, the Eagles' Hammersmith-born gem has missed 24 games since the beginning of the 2020/21 season, with a hamstring problem taking him out of action twice in the last two campaigns.
Ultimately, the South Londoners' dream scenario would be to tie Olise down to another long-term contract and build around him, but unfortunately, with how football is, that's probably not going to happen.
Therefore, if they do end up losing him this summer, spending £30m to bring in Summerville may be the best route. In fact, they should probably bring him to Selhurst Park regardless of where the Frenchman ends up; he's that good.
Crystal Palace can repeat Olise blinder by signing 'ridiculous' £30m star
The sensational gem could help make Palace an even more formidable attacking threat next season.
Sri Lanka Cricket is intent on constructing a new 40,000-capacity stadium in Colombo in addition to the existing R Premadasa Stadium in Khettarama.Primarily, the board appears to be interested the highest-capacity sports venue in the country in order to strengthen bids on major ICC events in the next rights cycle. This, despite calls by players for Khettarama’s existing training facilities to be enhanced.SLC has ordered a feasibility study on the new ground, and according to the board CEO has been “allocated” 26 acres of land by the Sri Lankan government, east of the city, in Homagama. On Sunday, SLC president Shammi Silva appeared in a photo-opportunity with government minister Bandula Gunawardana at the proposed site. While a public commitment to building the stadium has been made, many of the details are yet to take shape.For now, board CEO Ashley de Silva has said that while the government – and by extension the taxpayer – will provide land, the cost of the stadium’s construction “will have to be borne by SLC”. This would be the second stadium SLC has committed to building in the last few years. The board had also announced in 2017 that it would build a stadium in the northern city of Jaffna, but has failed to begin work on that ground. De Silva confirmed that a feasibility study on the Jaffna venue has not been completed yet.”Discussions are going on about the stadium at a high level about the ground in Colombo, which the board’s executive has been made aware of,” de Silva told ESPNcricinfo. “We are looking at it very positively for now and we have got the process started. The details will have to be worked out.”The ground at Khettarama, which currently hosts the majority of limited-overs matches played in Colombo, is now believed by the board to be insufficient in light of the board’s desire to bid on two major tournaments in particular.”We’re making bids for World Cups, and you would need five stadiums in order to host a big event of that nature,” de Silva said. “Tournaments like this bring money into the country.”The Khettarama ground only has maximum capacity of around 25,000 and we would need another floodlit ground in Colombo for day-night matches. Khettarama is also being used as a training venue for all our squads.”The ICC, however, does not appear to have stipulated a certain number of venues in a potential host country, nor required those venues to have a certain capacity, in order to make successful World Cup bids. These factors do come into play when the ICC assesses a potential host nation’s suitability, but general practice is that upgrades to existing facilities or construction of new stadiums occurs only after tournament hosting rights have been secured.In a normal year, the Khettarama ground is frequently filled to capacity for T20 matches, but almost always has seating to spare during ODI games. Tests in Colombo are usually played at either the P Sara Oval or the Sinhalese Sports Club ground, neither of which have floodlights. Capacity is not a concern for the longest format, in any case.Although SLC is expressing significant interest in building a stadium, it has not addressed long-standing calls to upgrade the existing training facilities at Khettarama. High-profile players have called for a swimming pool to be built at Khettarama to assist with low-impact rehabilitation work, but five years after a pool’s construction was put in motion, council approval has not yet been obtained for the structure.There is also no indoor nets facility at Khettarama, which has proved a challenge not only to Sri Lanka’s own players, but to visiting teams, who must train indoors at the Nondescripts Cricket Club across town.It is unclear whether the ICC has ever indicated that Sri Lanka must have a certain number of stadiums of a certain capacity in order to make a successful bid for hosting rights. The 2012 World T20 was held successfully across three venues – Khettarama, Hambantota and Pallekele – while the Dambulla ground has also come back into use for day-night cricket. The SSC, P Sara and Galle grounds also remain viable options for day games, though it does not appear as if any of those grounds will get floodlights installed anytime soon.In the early parts of this year, Khettarama underwent renovations. According to de Silva, SLC has not yet worked out how much the new stadium in Homagama would cost.