Tanguy Ndombele "cannot find his feet" at Tottenham, according to Darren Bent, who believes Barcelona would be a better fit for the midfielder's talents.
Spurs completed the signing of Ndombele from Lyon for £63 million ($78m) in July last year, after seeing off competition from a number of top European clubs.
The France international committed to a five-year contract with the north London outfit, and has since racked up 27 appearances across all competitions, scoring two goals and laying on four assists.
Despite being a regular in the first team, Ndombele hasn't quite managed to live up to expectations at Tottenham, with his fitness levels often called into question by supporters and experts.
Jose Mourinho has publicly criticised the 23-year-old for his work-rate when out of possession, and urged him to "give more" to the team following a 1-1 draw with Burnley in March.
It has been suggested that Ndombele could seek a move away from Spurs when the transfer market reopens, with Barcelona reportedly keeping a close eye on his situation.
Bent can see the Spanish champions launching a bid for the former Lyon star, who he thinks has struggled to adapt to the rigorous demands of Premier League football.
“I think Ndombele is a very good player but clearly something’s not right there,” the ex-Tottenham striker told Football Insider.
“He’s a top player but he needs to be able to play back-to-back. For whatever reason he doesn’t seem fit enough, he fades in and out of games, he just doesn’t have the impact on games that I’m sure Spurs fans were expecting.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if someone like Barcelona came in because a team like Barcelona always has possession of the ball, it’s not as frantic as the Premier League and he has got the ability.
“On the ball, he’s powerful, he can go past people, he can dribble – there’s so much he can do but for whatever reason at Spurs, he cannot find his feet. I remember my first season at Spurs, I really struggled to find my feet but mine came from not playing enough games.”