It's not right: Giorgio Chiellini feels sad for Manchester United captain Harry Maguire

Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini has expressed his sympathy for fellow centre-back and Manchester United captain Harry Maguire by insisting that he is treated unfairly because of his massive transfer fee.

The 38-year-old jumped to Maguire's defence by saying that expectations are too high due to his price tag.

"'I am sad for Maguire's situation because he is a good player. They [Manchester United] require too much of him. Just because they paid £80m for him, does he have to be the best in the world every match? It's not right. The value of the market is dependent on many aspects you can't control. It's not your fault," said Chiellini.

The Italian, who played against Maguire in the final of the 2020 European Championship, feels the Manchester United defender is a key player for England.

"Him and [John] Stones are a good duo. OK, maybe Maguire is not Rio Ferdinand, but he's good enough. With this situation it's not helping [England] to do the best. If you want to win the World Cup, it's impossible to do it with some problems in the key players, and for sure Maguire is one of the key players in the team," Chiellini added.

The Italian centre-back also showered praise on England's other defensive options for the upcoming FIFA World Cup.

"He (Fikayo Tomori) is one of the keys to AC Milan winning last year. I also love Kyle Walker," Chiellini said.

Despite Chiellini's support, Maguire continues to struggle in Erik Ten Hag's new system at Manchester United and will look to bounce back in form during this international break.

England is set to play two Nations League matches in preparation for the upcoming World Cup in Qatar. The Three Lions will face Italy in their first Nations League encounter on September 23, before locking horns with rivals Germany on September 26.