The striker has been linked with a move to Tottenham but Saints CEO Martin Semmens has no desire to sell 

Southampton have said they have no intention of selling striker Danny Ings.

The forward’s future was thrust into the spotlight earlier this month when Goal revealed he had asked to leave the club in order to sign for a team playing Champions League football.

Tottenham were put forward as a possible destination for a player who has 18 months remaining on his contract.

Spurs boss Jose Mourinho refused to be drawn on the prospect of signing Ings when asked about the subject at a press conference on Friday.

Saints are aware of the speculation, with CEO Martin Semmens saying the player’s relationship with the club is excellent and that he will not be sold in the next 18 months.

“The conversations have gone on and we have had talks with Danny, they’ve been 100 per cent professional,” Semmens told BBC Radio Solent. “Danny is very happy here, he wants to stay with the club and we have enjoyed having him.”

Semmens added that he hoped to thrash out a new deal with the player, but stressed any issues were not down to money.

“Money is 100 per cent not the issue,” Semmens said. “Danny has put us under no pressure to provide finances that we are not comfortable with. Those rumours are not true.

“Danny is focused on playing games for us and does not want to talk about his future contract. I think people forget that they are humans.

“He has a contract with us for 18 months and he will be with us for that time and we will sit down and talk about the future at some time before then.

“There are no issues. I know everybody is looking for a story but he has a contract with us and we hope he will stay beyond that.”

Southampton are ninth in the Premier League, five points behind fourth-placed Liverpool, so they are unlikely to provide Ings with Champions League football through their league position.

They knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup on Saturday, so a run to glory at Wembley would enable them to give the 28-year-old European football in the Europa League.