Carlo Ancelotti still rates Italian football highly, while the Paris Saint-Germain boss has ruled out any January signings from Serie A.

Peninsula clubs may no longer be the force they once were on the continent, but Ancelotti is refusing to under-estimate calcio.

“Italian football is still of the highest level,” he told the Corriere dello Sport. “Juventus, for example, are really strong.

“In Europe, Barcelona are the only unreachable team. But, behind them, there is a group of sides which include Juve and my PSG.”

Questions inevitably turned to the Winter window amidst reports that PSG were keen on Roma’s Daniele De Rossi and Wesley Sneijder of Inter.

“De Rossi won’t come to Paris,” he added. “If I was to make a prediction then it would be that Daniele will stay in Rome for a long time because that is his home.

“Sneijder? When he’s fit he is a great player, but he won’t come here unless on holiday.”

The tactician also dismissed suggestions that Marco Verratti could leave after links with Juventus, Inter and Roma.

“That’s not even an idea as Verratti will stay here for a long time.”