AMIR Khan believes his dream showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jnr is "closer than it has ever been".

The 28-year-old Boltonian returned home from New York this week, following his points victory over Chris Algieri, as the number one challenger to Mayweather's WBC welterweight belt.

He is also employing the unbeaten champion's own advisor, Al Haymon, to arrange his next fight.

And with the Muslim boxer confident he can observe the holy month of Ramadan, which is early this year and ends on July 17, and still have time to get in shape for Mayweather's preferred date in mid-September, he believes there are now no obstacles to securing the fight.

"It (Ramadan) works out just right for me so the fight is very possible," he said.

"Mayweather fights for the WBC title and I am the number one challenger.

"I hold the WBC Silver (belt), I have defended that the last two times.

"If Mayweather chose to defend his title or fight his mandatory challenger then that would be Amir Khan.

"Al-Hayman is doing his job. He is going to try to get me the right fight and let’s see if he can make that fight happen for me.

"He knows how much I want it. I think everyone knows how much I want it.

"The hype is now so big around this fight so let’s see if I can get it done first.

"This is the closest we have ever been to making it happen, so let’s see."

Khan, of course, has been here before, with Mayweather seemingly teasing him with the possibility of the fight he craves then taking it away.

The talk coming out of the 38-year-old American's camp in the run-up to his most recent "super-fight" against Manny Pacquiao was that he wanted one final payday before hanging up his gloves.

After cementing his name Stateside with good wins against Luis Collazo and Devon Alexander, Khan could well represent that opportunity.

But the former Olympic silver medallist admits he is haunted by the possibility he may never get his shot.

"You can’t take Mayweather seriously, he has been saying that (he only wants one more fight) for a long time," said Khan.

"But he is coming to an age now, I think he even said it himself, the love for the sport is not there anymore, it’s his talent that is keeping him winning.

"So I can’t really see him having a long career (from here).

"That’s why I really want to fight him now.

"Once he leaves, he is done and I am always going to be thinking what would have happened if I had fought Floyd Mayweather."

That nightmare scenario was utmost in Khan's thoughts when he entered the ring at the Brooklyn Center last Friday night to take on Algieri.

He was critical of his own performance after the fight, despite winning a unanimous decision, but admitted the Mayweather question disturbed his focus.

"When you just hope for that big fight all the time and it’s within touching distance and you never get it, it does put you down," he said.

"I would have been all right if the press were not continually asking me questions about it.

"Even on the day of the fight I was getting people mithering me.

"Even when I got to the arena before the fight, people were saying ‘Mayweather’s next man’.

"Sometimes that can affect you. You don’t need that pressure.

"It is pressure because I thought to myself ‘if I mess this up here, I am done. I can’t mess this up’.

"So a lot of pressure was on but I am past it now, so let’s see."