Liverpool won't be able to pick up Brazilian striker Keirrison on the cheap.

The Daily Mail says Valencia and Barcelona have been tracking the teenager for a year and reports last week said Liverpool had entered the race to sign him.

His contract with Coritiba runs out in April and his representatives are thought to have offered Keirrison to a number of clubs.

But the player has now signed a contract with sports marketing firm Traffic, who will demand a hefty fee to transfer the player to Europe.

In the kind of carve-up typical in South America, Traffic have reached an agreement to 'own' 80 per cent of the player for the next four years, with the final 20 per cent yet to be secured from Coritiba.

Keirrison's new owners have close links with Palmeiras and hope to transfer him to the Sao Paulo club in time for the Paulista state championship in January - if they can agree a fee with Coritiba for the early release from his contract.

However, the move to third-party ownership could mean the 6ft striker is transferred to Europe soon enough as his new paymasters look to maximise the return on their investment.