Gareth Bale has insisted that Tottenham Hotspur can challenge for the league title if they continue to improve.

However, the Welsh winger, who is likely to start against Aston Villa this evening, believes that regaining a spot in the Champions League should be the club's main ambition at the moment.

"It is so important we keep this squad together," Bale told the Evening Standard. "If we do, then every year we'll keep improving and eventually challenge for the title.

"We're a team who want to keep progressing every year and if we do that, it's going to come to a point where one year we're going to have to win the title.

"The main thing at the moment is to be playing Champions League football every year. We're going to try to do that because I know the lads are really disappointed not to be in it this year."

Bale joined Spurs in 2007 from Championship club Southampton.