By Edward Chaykovsky

British star Amir Khan (31-3, 19KOs) is very pleased with the ongoing negotiations to make a fight with former sparringmate Manny Pacquiao.

Khan's team is negotiating with Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, for a Las Vegas showdown in early 2016.

Pacquiao, who injured his right shoulder in the twelve round decision loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in May, has been given the green light, according to what Khan's hanlders were told by Top Rank.

Khan and Pacquiao sparred often when both were training under Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, California. Khan left Roach in 2012 and hired trainer Virgil Hunter.

If a deal gets very close, Khan says he will sit out for the remainder of 2015 and focus everything on the Pacquiao fight.

Khan had tried for years to get Mayweather in the ring with no success, but he may be close t getting the second most lucrative fight out there with Pacquiao.

“I can confirm that my team has been negotiating with Bob Arum; so far everything is going smooth,” Khan told The National. “The contracts are being negotiated and, if everything is agreed, Manny Pacquiao will be my next opponent.”

"I have been told that Manny ... has been given the ‘all clear’ to start training again by his doctor, which is great news. Depending on when he and his team feels he could be ready, the fight could be in February or April 2016."

“If, in the next couple of weeks, we get closer to confirming the fight, I will not be fighting again this year. This is a huge fight and I most definitely won’t be able to fight twice in the space of four months.”