As Khan prepares to take on Kotelnik, the World Boxing Association light-welterweight champion, in Manchester on Saturday, speculation has grown that victory for the Bolton fighter will pave the way for an all-North West contest with Hatton.
Khan's trainer, Freddie Roach, who masterminded Manny Pacquiao's crushing defeat of Hatton in Las Vegas in May, has added fuel to the fire by confirming that he would be happy to see the fight happen.
And while Khan insists his focus is on the job in hand, the 22 year-old has admitted that with a world title belt around his waist, he would look forward to having the pick of headline contests in his new weight division.
"People keep asking me about the Ricky Hatton fight and other big fights," he said. "I just tell them that I've got a big fight in front of me now. I need to win this fight to take me to the next level.
"There's a lot of pressure on me and I need to win this fight to get me to the places I want to get to.
"I want my fights to be shown on American TV, that's a big thing for me – more attention in America, and then I'll go over there and fight. Everyone's dream is to fight in Vegas and I want to fight in Vegas.
"The fight with Ricky – if it happens, it happens. We are both not pushing it, we're both going to see what the promoters say.
"We'll see what happens in the future but I've got bigger things to do at the moment, a world title fight. To win a world title in this day and age with the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Juan Manuel Marquez, Floyd Mayweather Jnr in the same weight category – it's going to catapult me and put me right at the top."
Gareth Williams, CEO of Hatton Promotions, later said: "Any statement regarding Ricky Hatton's future is utter nonsense. The only person who will make a decision about Hatton's future is Ricky himself."
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