Claudio Ranieri has not ruled out signing players from Serie A in the January transfer and said that new arrival Nicolas Nkoulou was someone Watford "needed a lot".

In an interview with Radio Anch'io Sport, the new head coach was asked whether or not players would follow him from Italy to the Premier League.

He said: "Why not? We took Nkoulou, who used to be at Turin, who we needed a lot."

The Cameroon defender is currently the only centre back training with Ranieri, with Francisco Sierralta and Christian Kabasele both injured and William Troost-Ekong and Craig Cathcart away on international duty.

Nevertheless, Ranieri is looking forward to getting started in his new "beautiful adventure" this weekend and is also excited about being reunited with an old friend when Watford face Everton away next Saturday.

"Great coaches have returned to Italy, while [Carlo] Ancelotti and I are abroad," he said. "It is part of globalised football. I will find great coaches, great clubs and great players. It will be a beautiful adventure to live."