Practice English with NewsPractice with News
Sports228 words2 min read

Barcelona Changes Plan for New Striker

Empty soccer stadium with blue and red seats reading Més que un club in Barcelona
Photo by Tim Roosjen on Unsplash
0:00 / 0:00

Listen to the story

FC Barcelona has changed its plan for signing a new centre-forward.

A centre-forward is the main striker who plays at the front of the team.

According to reports, the club has stopped its interest in Julián Álvarez, an Argentine forward.

Barcelona's new main target is Lautaro Martínez, who currently plays for Inter Milan.

The club now sees him as the number one option to strengthen its attack.

Another player mentioned in the reports is Mikautadze, another possible striker for Barcelona.

The change shows that Barcelona's strategy for the coming transfer window has shifted.

A strategy is a clear plan a club follows to reach a goal.

Barcelona wants a strong centre-forward to score goals and lead the attack.

The attack is the group of players who try to create and score goals.

It is not clear yet if Barcelona will make an official offer for Lautaro Martínez.

An offer is money or a proposal a club gives to try to sign a player.

Signing a top striker is often difficult, because other clubs may also want the same player.

Barcelona's fans will wait to see if the club can complete a transfer for its new target.

A transfer happens when a player moves from one club to another club.

For now, Julián Álvarez seems to be out of Barcelona's plans, while Lautaro Martínez has become the priority.

Vocabulary10 words

centre-forward
the main striker who plays at the front
target
a player a club wants to sign
strategy
a clear plan to reach a goal
attack
the players who try to score goals
offer
money or a plan given to sign a player
transfer
when a player moves to a new club
forward
another word for a striker
priority
the most important thing to do first
reports
news information given by journalists
option
a choice a club can pick

Quiz

1. What kind of player is Barcelona looking for?
2. Which club does Lautaro Martínez currently play for?
3. According to the reports, has Barcelona given up its interest in Julián Álvarez?

Fill-in-the-blank listening

Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.

FC Barcelona has changed its plan for signing a new _____.

According to reports, the club has stopped its interest in Julián _____.

Barcelona's new main target is Lautaro _____.

The club now sees him as the number one option to strengthen its _____.

Another player mentioned in the reports is _____.

The change shows that Barcelona's _____ for the coming transfer window has shifted.

It is not clear yet if Barcelona will make an official _____ for Lautaro Martínez.

Barcelona's fans will wait to see if the club can complete a _____ for its new target.

Discussion questions

  1. Why do you think Barcelona changed its target from Julián Álvarez to Lautaro Martínez?
  2. Do you think it is common for football clubs to change transfer targets suddenly? Why?
  3. How important is a centre-forward for a football team's success?
  4. If you were a football club manager, how would you decide which player to sign?

More Sports stories