Roberto Mancini believes Daniele De Rossi will never leave AS Roma.

The Manchester City manager is a big fan of the 28-year old Italian midfielder and would love to see him at Eastlands but insists that he is too engrained in the Roman way of life that he will never depart the Stadio Olimpico.

"De Rossi is one of the greatest midfielders in the world, I have always said this," Mancini told Rete Sport.

"But, he is a Roman and a Romanista, and so I do not think he will ever leave Roma."