Former Real Madrid forward Julio Baptista says his Cruzeiro teammate Lucas Silva is "ready" to join the Spanish giants should they make a move for the midfielder.
The 21-year-old has also been linked to English club Chelsea but Baptista backed the Brazil under-23 international to be successful at the Bernabeu, reports Xinhua.
"He is ready to make the leap to Europe and a big club like Madrid, but he needs time to settle, because it's not an easy club," Baptista was quoted saying by Sambafoot Friday.
"But in terms of football ability, there's no doubt he'd fit in very nicely at Real Madrid. He's a player brimming with talent."
Silva played an influential role in Cruzeiro's Brazilian Serie A triumph last year and has again impressed as the Belo Horizonte club defend their title.
Cruzeiro are believed to have placed a 20 million-euro price tag on the holding midfielder.
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