Fabio Cannavaro, manager of Chinese Super League (CSL) team Guangzhou, has told Tencent Sports that Chinese defender Gao Zhunyi has what it takes to join a European club.

Wu Lei is currently the only Chinese player at a European club – RCD Espanyol of La Liga. Tencent Sports reported that both Marcello Lippi, former manager of the Chinese national team, and Alberto Gilardino, former Italian national team member, said that Guangzhou's defender Zhang Linpeng could also hold his own in Europe.

Cannavaro does not think China has a player who can secure a steady position in the first team of a club from any major European league, but says Gao Zhunyi, with his ability to play multiple positions, his will to fight on the field and excellent physical attributes, deserves more attention from European teams.

Cannavaro is currently preparing for the new CSL season with Guangzhou. He admitted that they are not championship favorites after the departures of Paulinho, Anderson Talisca and Park Ji-soo. Guangzhou have several naturalized players and some good teenagers from the youth team, but they still need time to grow and adapt to the CSL, according to Cannavaro.

It has been two years since Guangzhou signed anyone on the transfer market, Therefore, Cannavaro believes youth development is key to building the team.

Meanwhile, with the Chinese national team in the same group as Japan, Australia and Saudi Arabia in the final stage of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers in Asia, Cannavaro said the situation was tough for China because those three teams are the best in Asia.

However, Cannavaro is not trying to discourage China because nothing is impossible in football. The 47-year-old Italian said the biggest challenge for China in the World Cup qualifiers will be at the beginning as the team will have to face Australia and Saudi Arabia on the road and host Japan at home between these two games.

Cannavaro said he understands why World Cup qualification is special, as it gives players extra motivation to work hard.