Dejan Kulusevski promised Tottenham will return next season with the ambition to become Premier League champions.

Spurs came in fifth after a flying start under Ange Postecoglou faded into a spluttering finish and missed out on a place in the Champions League.

Postecoglou made it clear he was not satisfied with fifth place even though it was up from eighth in the previous year and secures a place in next season’s Europa League, and nor were his players.

‘It’s always about winning,’ said Kulusevski. ‘Honestly, as a footballer nobody wants to come fourth, third, second.

‘You want to be the best and that’s the truth. You want to win every game so next year we’re looking to be as good as possible and win every game we possibly can playing our style of football.’

Kulusevski knows Postecoglou will be hammering that same message when they return for preseason in July.

‘He’s like that and he was like that this year too,’ said the Sweden international. ‘But as players we don’t want to just have finishing in the top four as a goal. If you play you want to be the best – nothing else.

‘It’s important to continue the good work and that means every day we have to improve and become champions.

‘It’s not the easiest thing to do. If it was everybody else would do it – but I believe we can do it in the future.’

Spurs are in Australia where they will take on Newcastle in a friendly on Wednesday.