British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said today he did not particularly wish for the Brexit transition period to end without a new trade deal being in place, but that Britain could live with such an outcome.
The transition period ends on 31 December and intensive negotiations are ongoing between London and Brussels.
A deal was there to be done but there were still "difficult issues" that needed to be fixed, Mr Johnson told the BBC's Andrew Marr programme.
He said he had a good conversation with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen yesterday via video conference.
The Conservative leader said the EU needs to understand Britain is "utterly serious" about controlling its own laws and regulations and the repatriation of the UK's fisheries.
"I hope they will agree to the deal we have set out because it's a very good deal for the EU."
Mr Johnson said Britain was asking the EU to offer the terms it has already offered to Canada.
"We're very close to our European friends and partners, we've been members of the EU for 45 years, I see no reason why we shouldn't get those sorts of terms."
He said he does not want the "WTO [World Trade Organisation] type outcome" but if there is no deal, then the UK "can more than live with it".
Earlier today, Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage said he thought a trade deal would be agreed.
He told Sky News: "I sense from the government's language from the last few days [that] there will be a compromise, I sense there will be a deal before the end of the year and it is one that will not fully satisfy many Brexiteers."
Asked whether he would be entering the political frame again if he was unhappy with a deal, Mr Farage replied: "Let's see where we go with this but if they completely drop the ball on Brexit, if we finish up stuck with a level playing field, unable to be competitive, then there are more battles to be fought."
