Boxing: Warren in Talks With Khan Over Deal

Amir Khan may be moving closer to a professional career under Frank Warren after the promoter revealed last night that Britain's Olympic lightweight silver medallist was to be a guest at Ricky Hatton's world title defence in Manchester on Friday, and that he will have talks with the boxer and his representatives about a possible deal.

Although the English Amateur Boxing Association has presented Khan with a written guarantee of a package of support worth £70,000 a year over the four years leading to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Khan has still not agreed to its terms and there is a growing belief in his camp that Warren's involvement might be the preferred option, even though Khan said in the aftermath of his Athens success that his ambition remained to win an Olympic gold medal.

"Of course I want to sign Amir," Warren said last night. "He could be a huge star if we look after him the right way. But it has to be because he really wants to do it."

Other promoters are also believed to have been in contact with Khan, the first amateur in 53 years to be named the young boxer of the year by the British Boxing Writers Club. Previous winners include Randolph Turpin, John Con teh, Barry McGuigan, Frank Bruno and Naseem Hamed.

Hatton, also a former young boxer of the year who is defending his World Boxing Union light-welterweight title at the MEN Arena in Manchester against Mike Stewart of the United States, has joined the growing number of professionals advising Khan to capitalise on his fame by turning pro after his 18th birthday in December. "I turned professional when I was 18 because it was all I ever wanted," said Hatton. "It was certainly the right decision for me."