Real Madrid have won the race to sign Brazilian midfielder Lucas Silva from Cruzeiro, according to reports in Spanish newspaper Marca.

The newspaper suggests that Real have reached an agreement with Cruzeiro to sign the 21-year-old for a reported €15 million.

The European champions announced on Wednesday that they had reached an agreement with Stromsgodset to sign 16-year-old Norwegian forward Martin Odegaard, and Silva is likely to be their second signing of the transfer window.

He is expected to sign a six-and-a-half year contract with Carlo Ancelotti's team, ahead of an unveiling at the Bernabeu next week

The midfielder has been linked with the club since August, and is seen as a replacement for Xabi Alonso - who moved to Bayern Munich last summer.

A host of Premier League sides are said to have watched the player during the last few months, but he recently revealed he was keen on a move to the Spanish capital.