Nabil Bentaleb
Nabil Bentaleb was a crucial player for Mauricio Pochettino in the 2014-15 campaign Getty Images

Nabil Bentaleb is focusing in helping Tottenham "win a trophy and qualify for the Champions League" in the coming season despite uncertainty over his long-term future at the club.

Having become a crucial asset for manager Mauricio Pochettino during the Argentine's first season in north London, the Algeria international hoped Spurs would reward him with an improved contract like they recently did with Harry Kane and Ryan Mason.

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The 20-year-old was one of Pochettino's favourites in midfield alongside Mason last season, making 35 appearances for the club. That was even though Spurs spent big in past transfer windows to bolster the position with the likes of Paulinho, Etienne Capoue and Benjamin Stambouli.

Earlier in June, Bentaleb did not hide his frustration about the situation during an interview with The Telegraph and revealed "interest from Champions League clubs" to secure his services.

"I play every game like it is my last. I give everything on the pitch. I've been working really hard and it's normal for me to want to get rewarded. We've been negotiating for nearly nine months now, since September, and it's getting really long and, of course, I'm getting a little bit tired of it," the starlet said at the time.

But while the club are yet to make an update on the situation, Bentaleb has expressed his hopes for the new campaign after a transitional first season with Pochettino.

Asked by the club's official website about his aims for the new season, he said: "To push on from last season. If we could win a trophy and qualify for the Champions League, that would be a big achievement. We know what it would mean to the fans and the club.

"Some of us were disappointed but at the end of it all we realised we'd had a good season having finished fifth in the league and reached a cup final as well. We had a new head coach in his first year at the club and we've been adapting to his new way of working and style of play."