Looking forward to the talks over the next few months, the EU Exit Secretary was optimistic that an agreement can be achieved by October.

He also admitted the wrangle would not be "straightforward" and vowed to fight Brussels attempts to "cherry pick" which sectors of the economy will be able to get full access to European markets.

His remarks were being seen in Brussels as a challenge to chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier's repeated claims that a final Brexit deal cannot include financial services.

Mr Davis set out his expectations for the resumption of Brexit talks in Brussels later this month in a newspaper article. 

It came ahead of a major speech he is due to deliver next week detailing the Government's objectives for the coming round of talks.

The Tory Cabinet minister said: "The negotiations about the future will not be very straightforward.

"They will generate the same public thunder and lightning we have seen in the past year.

"But I believe they will be successful, because the future of the Europe continent is best served by strong and successful relationships."

Mr Davis rejected claims from Mr Barnier and his team that economic barriers could be erected to punish the City of London.

"I do not believe the strength of this cooperation needs change because we are leaving the European Union," he wrote.

"Given the strength and depth of our links, a deal which took in some areas of our economic relationship but not others would be, in the favoured phrase of EU diplomats, cherry picking."

Mr Davis insisted that "with enough determination and flexibility, a successful outcome can be found".

Last month, Mr Barnier claimed there was "no place" for financial services in a Brexit trade deal and warned that the UK would have to accept some restrictions to the sector as the price for voting to quit the EU.

Mr Davis insisted he was optimistic about the talks in spite of the difficulties.

He said: "Just as many wrongly predicted that the exit negotiations would not move on by this point, so there are many reasons to be optimistic about the direction of the future trade talks.

"I understand when people say that the first responsibility for proposing solutions to Brexit's conundrums lies on the British side.

"But that does not mean that the process should be all one way."

Downing Street officials yesterday backed Mr Davis in his vow to face down Mr Barnier's threats to the City of London.

The Prime Minister's spokesman insisted the talks had been making "good progress", adding: "We're looking forward to those negotiations continuing."

The spokesman went on: "We've been clear that we want a comprehensive deal - I think that's what the Secretary of State was setting out. 

"You can take everything that is written in the article as our position."