TOTTENHAM boss Jose Mourinho refused to speak about frontman Danny Ings out of “respect” for Saints.

The talismanic striker has once again been linked with a move to Spurs this week – with his current contract set to run out at St Mary’s in the summer of 2022.

Various media outlets claim Ings is stalling on signing a new deal at Saints, in the hope of attracting an offer from a side competing in the Champions League.

Asked about his striker situation at the north London club, Portuguese manager Mourinho said: “Let’s go bit by bit… Two strikers, we are not a team that needs a third striker because the third striker is Sonny (Heung-Min Son).

"We don’t need more than two. We have the best.

"We are happy with Carlos (Vinicius), Carlos is not our player. He is a Benfica player but he is one that we are helping to develop and he is helping us when he is asked for. We are happy with the situation.

"Ings, I refuse totally to say any word about him because he is a Southampton player and I respect that.”

England international Ings has scored 40 goals in 81 senior appearances for Saints.