Palmeiras striker Keirrison is eager to become a new Romario when he joins Spanish and European champions Barcelona. The Catalans, who have been quiet in the transfer market so far this summer, are close to signing Keirrison, who relishes the prospect of playing for his favorite club. The highly-rated frontman, 20, also wants to follow in the footsteps of Brazil great Romario, who made a massive impact at Barcelona in the mid 1990s. "In all my statements as a professional footballer, I have always said that playing for Barcelona has been my dream since childhood," he told Sport on Sunday. "I have always been a fan of Barca since the days of Romario, when I was a boy. "I want to follow in his footsteps because he is the player I admire the most." Romario helped Barcelona win the Primera Liga title in 1994 after scoring 30 goals to finish top scorer in the competition. Keirrison joined Brazilian outfit Palmeiras in January after putting in a series of impressive displays with Coritiba. He could be Barcelona's first signing in the close season as the club bid to retain the league trophy.
