Julio Baptista urges Real Madrid to sign Cruzeiro teammate Lucas Silva

Forward Julio Baptista has urged his former employees Real Madrid to sign his highly-rated teammate Lucas Silva.

Real have been linked with the 21-year-old midfielder, after reports of a potential move away from the Bernabeu for Sami Khedira.

"It would be a wise move," Baptista told Marca.

"The first day I saw him I knew he was a player that would turn heads and I told him so.

"He's a two touch player, a quality that would fit right in in Spain or the Premier League. In Brazil, players hog the ball, but Lucas plays it quickly."

Silva has also caught the attention of several Premier League clubs after breaking through Cruzeiro's youth team in 2012, with Chelsea reportedly looking to add him to their midfield.