Barcelona are poised to sign Sporting Lisbon’s prolific striker Mario Jardel after the club agreed a deal to bring the Brazilian-born striker to the Nou Camp.

The Brazilian marksman has been desperate to quit the Portuguese champions, citing the break-up of his marriage as the chief reason he wants to quit Portugal. The player failed to turn up for his pre-season medical at Sporting, claiming he was suffering from depression.

Representatives from the Nou Camp are expected to finalise details of the deal over the weekend but a fee of £3 million plus the Brazilian midfielder Geovanni, has been mooted.

One of the most potent strikers in European club football in recent years, Jardel was the last season’s winner of the Golden Boot, scoring 42 league goals for Sporting. Previous successful spells at Porto and Galatasaray have seen him maintain a remarkable scoring rate of almost a goal every game.