By Breaking Celebrity News Staff

It wasn’t so much what Simon Cowell said about Britney Spears' prospects of joining the cast of The X-Factor, but the way he said it.

"If it was my decision to sign Spears, I'd do it 100 percent — if we could get her," Cowell said in the most optimistic tone he could muster.

The musical genius, appearing on Ryan Seacrest's syndicated radio show Friday, shot the breeze with his former American Idol colleague about the ongoing rumors the Toxic singer will bring her massive star power to the second season of The X Factor.

"We'll find out very soon … if we've spoke to her," Simon told Seacrest coyly when asked if pop's most celebrated Southern belle would join the cast, filling one of the two spots vacated when Nicole Scherzinger and Paula Abdul parted ways after season one wrapped up.

"There are a lot of names that have been bandied around," Simon said, adding, "We've got to keep quiet about it … we're very, very, close -- I think were very close."

As we previously reported, Spears' conservatorship might fall into the hands of her fiance Jason Trawick --