Tottenham midfielder Maddison: Champions League a non-negotiable here

Tottenham midfielder James Maddison insists qualifying for the Champions League is a must this season.

Victory over Nottingham Forest sees Spurs move into fourth place ahead of Aston Villa after their 3-3 draw against Brentford.

I get the manager not wanting to talk about [finishing in the top four], but I am not going to lie to your face and say you don't think about that, because we want to be in the Champions League," Maddison said.

This club needs to be in the Champions League, [it's] non-negotiable really, and that's the aim. That's why we'll try to finish strong and get that."

On challenging for the title next season, Maddison said: That's definitely the feeling.

It's annoying listening to three teams go at it for the title and we're not in it.

How exciting is the title race this season? It's amazing, it's brilliant for a neutral. Everyone is locked into the Premier League every week, because it's such a good title race. Frustrating not to be a part of that, but we are where we are and we have our own job to do."