Joe Gallagher, trainer and manager of WBA super middleweight champion Callum Smith, would love to finalize a unification with WBO world champion Billy Joe Saunders.
Saunders recently parted ways with longtime promoter Frank Warren. There are rumors that he could sign a deal with Warren's main rival, Eddie Hearn, who also promotes Smith.
A few months ago, the promotional divide was a sticking point in making a Smith-Saunders showdown.
Before that unification can come down, Smith will first make a voluntary defense on UK soil.
Smith retained his belt back in June, when he blew away Hassan N'Dam on the Anthony Joshua-Andy Ruiz undercard at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
"Hopefully there should be an announcement soon that Callum will announce his fight date and everything else, and it will be back in the UK," Gallagher told Sky Sports.
"Possibly back end of September, early October, that's the time frame we're looking at, but it could be announced as early as this week. He's a champion, all the other world champions are tied up at the moment. We don't know what's happening with Billy Joe Saunders. The offer wasn't good enough and that's a fight that's got to happen next year outdoors. Get it built up and everything else."
More than likely a fight with Saunders would be a prime target for 2020.
"Next year definitely, outdoors yes, why wouldn't he? That's a huge fight by the time it's built and it's generated, and it gets the audience that's deserving of a unification fight. Of course he would take that. Billy Joe, he doesn't duck a challenge, but that's a fight for next year definitely," Gallagher said.
"Like I say, Callum Smith will fight again, whether that's in Liverpool in his next fight, which would be great for a homecoming for him, and then we'll see after that. We'll see what champions are available and try and get a big fight before Christmas in a unification."
