Gatlin (left) and Powell both share the world record of 9.77 seconds

The sprinters are set to race at the London Grand Prix on 28 July but Gatlin's agent Renaldo Nehemiah says they could go head-to-head before then.

He said: "It will probably be prior to London, but I'm not ruling out that London may be the first confrontation."

Gatlin would have faced Powell on 11 June in Gateshead but he withdrew.

Nehemiah pulled Gatlin out of the event, claiming a race with Powell had not been part of the deal.

Powell's agent Paul Doyle and Nehemiah have been comparing schedules to see when the sprint duo will face each other.

It's not just about the highest bidder Justin Gatlin's agent Renaldo Nehemiah

"My people and his people are working on it," Gatlin confirmed. "People are waiting for this showdown.

"It's like when you had Carl Lewis and Ben Johnson. Everybody in the world stopped to watch them."

Powell is expected to run in Athens on 3 July then in Paris on 7 July and in Rome on the 14th.

Gatlin has committed to Lausanne on 11 July and the Zurich Golden League on the 18th August.

That would leave the Madrid Grand Prix (17 July), the Stockholm Super Grand Prix (25 July) and the Helsinki Grand Prix (26 July) as possibilities.

Nehemiah said there were many variables - aside from the biggest purse - that would determine where Gatlin would meet Powell.

"It's not just about the highest bidder," he said. "It's about climate and wanting to have a full stadium.