Barcelona are being tipped to complete a €13m deal for the Brazilian striking sensation Keirrison in the next few days. Yet the striker, on loan at Palmeiras from the obscure fourth division club Desportivo Brasil, will not come without controversy due to the nature of his imminent departure from Palmeiras to Josep Guardiola’s side.

Questions surrounding his third-party ownership by the sports marketing company Traffic and his mentality in a high pressure environment have led to concerns over his suitability to the impeccable standards set by the Catalan club.

After an excellent debut season as an 18-year-old, Keirrison, or K9 as he is nicknamed, scored 12 goals in Coritiba’s promotion drive in the second division of the Campeonato Brasileiro in 2007. Critics claimed that once regularly competing in the Brazilian Serie A, the youngster’s flaws would be more visible.

They were, although his strengths were evident in equal fashion as Keirrison netted 21 league goals, becoming joint-top goalscorer with the veterans Washington, then of Fluminense, and Santos’ Kléber Pereira. Having scored another 20 goals in other competitions for a limited Coritiba side catalysed interest from major European sides with 41 goals in total.

Yet, Coritiba decided to sell 80% of the player’s rights to the 4^th division U20 outfit Desportivo Brasil, owned by Traffic, who incidentally also back Palmeiras financially. The Sao Paulo side paid $1m to Coritiba to sign the remaining 20% of the player on 15^th of January instead of in April 2009, when his contract expired, to appease the fans after an underachieving season.

Keirrison scored an impressive 19 goals in his first 23 games for his new side, although the level of competition had been average. The player has been overhyped and compared with players such as Ronaldinho and the original Ronaldo, as fellow youngsters Lulinha and Neymar have.

Keirrison has more in common with the latter duo and will have to improve greatly under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola, if he is to successfully challenge for a starting spot in the Barca line-up. Tim Vickery of BBC Sport said of this prospect:

Some commentators might be gushing, but the Palmeiras fans are not totally convinced. He’s scored plenty of goals, but hasn’t done much in the big games. I don’t think it’s a case of him ‘bottling’ it - I think it comes down to the fact that he is still raw.

He’s a terrific right footed finisher - but other aspects of his game need a lot of improvement. He needs to work on his left foot and become more confident taking chances on it first time, and he must improve his link play.

There are too many times when he is going missing. I hope he doesn’t go in this year’s transfer window. This time next year I expect him to be better equipped for a move.

After his exploits with the Couto Pereira outfit, the youngster attracted attention from European giants such as Liverpool and Barcelona. Being from a poor background and of a shy and reserved nature, the increased media attention led to the player’s first major dip in form, as he scored only 5 goals in his next 13 games across all competitions.

At 1.81m, he is not the most physically imposing player (although he does score headed goals on occasion), and he will have to improve his physical strength and conditioning if he is to compete in La Liga.

Furthermore, the attitude of the youngster has also been called into question, after posting a statement on his official website that he will not participate in the match against Santos, after a joint decision was taken with the club directors due to the ongoing negotiations with Barcelona. Players such as Robinho also went on strike in a bid to secure a move to Europe, although Keirrison is far more reserved than the inconsistent Manchester City attacker.

Palmeiras boss Vanderlei Luxemburgo was outraged by this decision and was relieved of his duties by the club directors, due to a twitter update in which he claimed that Keirrison will not play under his management for Palmeiras if the deal to Barcelona falls through. Such an attitude will be unacceptable at Barcelona where player power has been diluted by the new regime.

Barcelona are said to be keen to loan the player out while he adapts to the demands of a European league, with Guardiola also keen to sign a big-name striker to replace the out-going Samuel Eto’o, who is reportedly set to sign for the nouveau-riche Manchester City, for an astronomical wage offer.

Keirrison could therefore follow the same path as former team-mate Henrique, who also moved from Coritiba to Palmeiras, before signing for the Catalan giants. The central defender spent last season on loan at Bayer Leverkusen. Keirrison is more likely to be sent out on loan to another La Liga club, although any such move depends on his pre-season at Barcelona.

Normally highly rated Brazilian players sign from a smaller European club, before eventually making their way to the bigger sides. Keirrison is set to sign for a big club straightaway and one must wonder whether he will make the necessary impact. Although, if Barcelona are so keen to sign the player, they must be confident he will turn out to be the real deal.

The youngster is yet to play for Dunga’s national side, having missed out on a place in the eventually victorious Confederations Cup squad. The pragmatic Dunga is unlikely to pick a relatively untested 20 year old, unless injuries and suspensions really affect his options. A friendly against Estonia in August could be the perfect way for the starlet to begin his international career after a high profile move. Below is a video of Keirrison’s exploits at first club Coritiba: