"Just because they paid £80 million for him, he has to be the best in the world every match?" - Italian legend says he feels sorry for Manchester United captain Harry Maguire

Italy and Juventus legend Giorgio Chiellini has claimed that he feels sorry for Manchester United captain Harry Maguire following his downturn in form.

Maguire has put on several poor performances since the start of last season. He has been dropped by manager Erik ten Hag following defeats in United's opening two games. Since the centre-back has been benched, Manchester United have won four Premier League games on the bounce.

Sources say Harry Maguire's frustrations with David de Gea's communication and reluctance to defend further away from his goal-line were a factor in the overall malaise in defence last season [@MarkOgden_]

Chiellini has now had his say on the England defender, who signed for the Red Devils from Leicester in 2019 for £80 million, a world record fee for a defender.

Speaking to The Times, the Los Angeles FC defender stated:

“I am sad for Maguire’s situation because he is a good player. They require too much of him. Just because they paid £80 million for him, he has 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.”

The 38-year-old left Juventus in the summer to move to the USA after 18 years at Juve. He even played against Maguire in the Euro 2020 final last year, where Italy won on penalties at Wembley Stadium.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Harry Maguire this season:

👤 4 apps
📉 4 losses
❌ 8 goals conceded
🧢 Picked for England squad

Gareth Southgate, football genius 🤥 https://t.co/uoZJhTw5hZ

Liverpool legend believes Harry Maguire will return to Manchester United's starting lineup soon

With Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane in excellent form, Maguire faces an uphill task getting back into United's XI.

Former Liverpool midfielder Graeme Souness has backed the centre-half to return to the team soon, as the Red Devils have a packed schedule coming up. The pundit told talkSPORT (via the Manchester Evening News):

"I'm not a big critic of Maguire. I think he's a very good player and he's struggled with his partner, whoever he's had when playing for Manchester United. He's better than what people would have you believe."

"Confidence is a big part for players and their ability to play at their peak. Some players need a lot of love, and some can get away with having very little. I think he will, ultimately, end up back in the team. There you are."

Maguire has started just one game for United since being dropped in the Premier League, a 1-0 home defeat against Real Sociedad in the Europa League. The Englishman has faced criticism since the start of last season, with several huge gaffes blighting the Red Devils' campaign as they finished sixth.

Brandon Williams: "He's [Maguire] already had a great career. He's on stepping stones and he'll get to the top where he wants to be. He's already at the top. He's captain of #mufc. I dream to be that one day and he's already done it." [@TheSportsman]