Amir Khan: Showdown with Floyd Mayweather is 'Within Touching Distance'

Amir Khan is confident that a strong showing against an unnamed opponent in December will be enough to seal a showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr next year.

Khan, 27, was in the frame for a bout with the world champion in May before he was eventually overlooked in favour of Marcos Maidana.

The Bolton-born fighter instead settled for a place on the undercard where he emphatically dismissed Luis Collazo to keep himself in contention for a chance to dethrone the welterweight king.

Mayweather will take on Maidana on a rematch in September and Khan himself is close to announcing the fight he hopes will secure him his dream clash with the 37-year-old, with advisor Al Haymon in talks with Golden Boy Promotions over an opponent.

"I'm looking at fighting on 6 December. There is no opponent yet but I've got a meeting with my manager Al Haymon in the next couple of weeks," Khan told Sky Sports.

"I'll be flying back to America to begin my training camp at the end of August with my trainer Virgil Hunter in San Francisco."

Earlier this summer Khan tweeted a list of names who he considered viable candidates for his next fight. Of the names mentioned, only Devon Alexander could be considered a realistic option at this stage and Khan has suggested the American could be given the nod for his December bout, a year on from when a proposed meeting between the two was shelved.

"I'd like to fight whoever," Khan continued. "There are a few big names out there. You've got Devon Alexander and Robert Guerrero out there but who knows. I'll fight anyone you put in front of me.

"At the moment, I'm waiting for names from Golden Boy Promotions and from Al Haymon and I'll just take it from there.

"The Mayweather fight is within touching distance. It's very close. I had that good performance against Luis Collazo which put me in that position but obviously because I don't want a long wait until May, I want to get a fight in December and look good in that fight.

"I want to fight nice and comfortable and then go into a super-fight in May. That's what my idea [is] and I've left it to my team and management to take me towards that route."