Thiago Silva 'does not know' if Neymar will join Real Madrid

Paris Saint-Germain captain Thiago Silva has said he hopes Neymar will still be at the Parc des Princes next season amid reports linking the Brazil superstar with a summer move to Real Madrid.

Neymar is rumoured to be unsettled in Paris and has been linked with a return to Spain just six months after he left Barcelona in a world record £198m ($274m) transfer.

The 25-year-old has scored 19 goals in 18 league games for the French champions this season, but has been booed by some sections of the club's supporters due to an alleged spat between him and Edinson Cavani.

Silva admitted he did not know where his compatriot would be playing next season.

"I don't know. I cannot speak for him," the Brazil centre-back was reported as saying by Goal.com.

"We know that sometimes the press releases things that are not true. But also others that are true. I cannot say anything.

"I hope he stays with us, he still has a lot of things to do with us, and he has already helped us a lot, and thanks to him and the work we do together, we are even more famous."

PSG travel to the Spanish capital to face Real in the Champions League round of 16 first leg on 14 February, and Silva said his team cannot take the defending European champions lightly despite their recent inconsistent form.

"People think that Paris is already in the quarters because Real has run through a bad time," he said.

"No, it's not like that. The big players, we see them in the big matches, and it's sure that those players at Real will give everything in this game. We will too."

Silva added: "I think it's going to be a very high level match, you have to be focused, you do not have to talk too much before."