Sportsmail reported last summer that Pacquiao and Crawford had been in negotiations with an eye on staging their super fight in the Middle East.
However, an agreement was never reached and Crawford instead took a challenge from former IBF champion Kell Brook in November, knocking him out in four rounds to retain his WBO world title.
Pacquiao, who was recently stripped of his WBA belt due to inactivity, has been out of the ring since inflicting the first defeat of Keith Thurman’s career back in 2019, but is eager to return in a major title bout.
The 42-year-old admitted he has spoken with Crawford’s promoter Bob Arum about facing the undefeated champion but has demanded a hefty price to take the fight.
‘I like to fight somebody who has a title,’ Pacquiao told the Daily Tribune.
‘We told Bob I get $40million (£30m) and Crawford gets $10million (£7m).
‘I will fight anybody. You know me, I don’t back away from any challenge. Bring them on!’
Top Rank chief Arum told this publication he wants to make Pacquiao vs Crawford in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain or Kolkata but has been unable to push ahead with plans due to issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Eight-weight champion Pacquiao also has other options on the table and is willing to take on Crawford’s welterweight rival Errol Spence, who currently holds the WBC and IBF titles at 147lbs.
There had also been intense speculation about a money-spinning crossover fight with MMA star Conor McGregor – though the Irishman’s stunning defeat against Dustin Poirier last month could possibly have killed off any chances of that happening.
The Filipino’s promoter Sean Gibbons admitted recently that the demand for Pacquiao to fight McGregor is ‘not presently there’ following his defeat against Poirier.
‘Very unfortunate, it looked like Conor looked past Dustin and got knocked out,’ he said.
‘Maybe he had the Senator on his mind. I think the demand for the fight is not there presently.
‘Conor has some business to clean up and handle in the UFC.
‘It’s a bummer, it could have been fun for as long as it lasted and know leg kicks would have made a world of difference.’
