Amir Khan is hopeful of fighting Manny Pacquiao in February after revealing that negotiations are "going smooth".

Khan was denied a bout with the now-retired Floyd Mayweather Jr when he opted to end his career with a fight against Andre Berto, the American winning by unanimous decision earlier this month to move to an undefeated 49-0 record.

The Briton has recently said he hoped a victory over Filipino Pacquiao - defeated by Mayweather in May - could lure the American out of retirement.

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

Pacquiao said he injured his right shoulder in training for the Mayweather bout and sustained a torn rotator cuff in the fourth round but recently posted a picture of a "successful" MRI scan on his shoulder on his Instagram page.

Khan added: "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 feel 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.

"This is the biggest fight out there for me and I will be ready. We have not gone into the specifics yet but it is a pay-per-view fight, it's going to be global. It could be either on HBO or any other network, as I am a free agent.

"I know Manny. He is my friend. We've trained and sparred together. He has never ducked or dodged any fighter and I am sure he won't get scared like Floyd Mayweather and back out."