Brazilian footballer Thiago Silva, who is currently suited up for Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain, reportedly said that he wanted his national team captain Neymar to play with him in France instead of Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo.

Both Neymar and Ronaldo are rumored to be in the crosshairs of Les Parisiens during the summer transfer window, but it is easy to understand why the 31-year-old center back is preferring his Seleção captain than the three-time Ballon d'Or winner.

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In fairness, Silva told reporters who asked him to pick one between Neymar and Ronaldo "who would be the better signing" that the two players are both "world-class" footballers and it would be hard to select just one, which means his choice came from an emotional standpoint.

"It's a difficult choice - can we take both? Seriously, they are two world-class players," the PSG captain said, via ESPN.

Silva said he chooses Neymar simply "because I'm Brazilian. I'm like his big brother."

Caught Offside reported that the Rio de Janeiro, Brazil native admittedly asked Neymar to come and join him in PSG, which the Barcelona winger allegedly "didn't say no" to.

"We spoke a bit during the Ballon d'Or ceremony in Zurich (in January). I said to him: 'Come, come to play in Paris with me.' He laughed a bit, but he didn't react," said Silva. "He said: 'We'll see, we'll continue as we are, and at the end of the season you'll know what I'm going to do."

Silva also said he thinks that at 24 years old, Neymar will take the place of his teammate, five-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi, as the best footballer in the world "next year or the year after" if "Messi gives up his place".

PSG's resident striker Zlatan Ibrahimović is rumored to be planning an exit from the French capital this summer to pursue offers to play for the Major League Soccer in the United States next season.

Head coach Laurent Blanc are reportedly in the process of searching for a suitable replacement for Ibrahimović and the short list of candidates include the Brazilian skipper, Ronaldo, and Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski.

Of course, PSG will be challenged by other world-class football clubs for the signature of any of those mentioned above and so there is still no guarantees who will end up where until that time comes.

Tags Football Transfer Rumors, Thiago Silva, Paris Saint-Germain, neymar, cristiano ronaldo