Jose Mourinho provided a scathing review of club-record signing Tanguy Ndombele after Tottenham Hotspur's draw against Burnley on Saturday.
The manager substituted the midfielder at halftime, as his performance during the opening 45 minutes failed to live up to Mourinho's expectations.
"I was expecting players not tired to give more to the team," Mourinho said post-match. "And I think that somebody has to realize that this is the Premier League. I think this is probably a new experience, the first time he comes to Burnley. And I hope that next season he can be fantastic because until now it's not enough."
Mourinho later acknowledged he was talking about Ndombele, and not Oliver Skipp, when asked to clarify which of the two players - both were substituted at halftime - he was directing criticism toward.
"I never want to criticize a kid like (Skipp)," Mourinho added after heaping praise on the 19-year-old who started his first Premier League match of the season at Turf Moor.
Ndombele has struggled to live to the €62-million (£55.45-million) price tag Spurs paid to acquire him from Lyon last summer.
The 23-year-old's work rate and fitness have been a concern during a season in which he's played the full 90 minutes of a Premier League match just three times out of 12 appearances in the starting squad.
Saturday's affair was also the third time Ndombele has been replaced at halftime in a Premier League contest.