"I don't think winning a cup will keep the young players. I think qualifying for the Champions' League could help to keep young players," said Martinez, who took charge in 2013.
Everton are 11th in the league with 27 points, though they have registered fewer defeats than Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Watford and Stoke City, who all sit above them in the table.
Striker Romelu Lukaku is currently joint top scorer in the league with 15 goals, and the club have had to fend off interest in emerging English talents John Stones and Ross Barkley.
"Three years ago it was a very experienced team who knew how to win games, but we had some sort of ceiling," said Martinez. "Now we have gone very, very young with immense potential to go beyond that ceiling, and there has been investment in that potential so we will get the rewards from it.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
"There are no financial decisions that will dictate what this squad needs. I wouldn't say I don't want to win silverware, because that is what this club is about and our aim is to have that drive and ambition to do that, but the aim is get into the top four, and that is what we have set out to achieve."
Everton take on Dagenham & Redbridge in the FA Cup on Saturday before resuming league action against Manchester City midweek.
(Reporting by Aby Jose Koilparambil in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
