BORIS Johnson has urged the European Union to be "common-sensical", insisting that a post-Brexit trade deal is within grasp.
The British prime minister said there is "every chance" an agreement could be reached and he remains hopeful of a Canada-style free trade arrangement.
He denied the UK's threat to override parts of the Withdrawal Agreement had backfired after the EU mounted a legal challenge.
Mr Johnson and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen will hold a conference call today as they take stock of progress following the final scheduled round of formal negotiations in Brussels.
It has prompted speculation they could be preparing to launch a final series of intensive talks – dubbed "the tunnel" – in a last push for an agreement.
The British government has said it wants a deal by the time of the next EU summit on October 15, or it will be too late to implement before the Brexit transition period ends on December 31.
In a series of regional broadcast interviews, Mr Johnson told BBC Midlands there was "every chance to get a deal", adding: "It's up to our friends and partners to be common-sensical."
Speaking to BBC Northern Ireland, he added: "They've done a deal with Canada of a kind that we want, why shouldn't they do it with us? We're so near, we've been members for 45 years. It's all there, it's just up to them."
Mr Johnson denied that the Internal Market Bill had backfired after the EU earlier this week announced it would be taking legal action.
"Actually all we're doing is trying to protect the the Good Friday Agreement, protect the union with Northern Ireland, as you'd expect any government to do, and to stop an unnecessary border down the down the Irish Sea," he said.
On plans to push ahead with new 'sea border' inspection posts, the prime minister said what had been agreed is "supported by all parties in Northern Ireland".
"We're going to help our friends in the south by doing some checks on goods coming into Northern Ireland that might go on into the Republic," he said.
"What we won't do is do checks on all the goods coming into Northern Ireland from GB, that would be mad, because most of them after all, don't go, into the Republic.
"So what we're doing is helping our EU friends, helping Ireland, helping them protect their internal market but also sticking up for the union, which is very, very important."
Asked about coronavirus, meanwhile, Mr Johnson expressed a willingness to provide extra resources to help the Stormont executive fight a second wave of infections, but he said he first wanted to see the impact of new restrictions.
