Shawbrook is considering a potential new bid for London-listed Metro Bank after several failed approaches earlier in the year, people familiar with the matter also told Reuters.
Metro Bank, Lloyds and Santander did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Metro Bank has seen its shares tumble after news emerged that it had hired advisers to shore up its balance sheet after failing to gain key capital relief from banking regulators.
Metro Bank said on Thursday its options included a combination of equity and debt issuance, as well as refinancing and asset sales.
While Metro Bank's customer deposits, like those of other UK banks, are backed by a government guarantee up to 85,000 pounds, the regulator is keen for concerns not to spread.
Persons:
Shawbrook, Robey Warshaw, Elisa Martinuzzi, Pablo Mayo Cerquerio, Iain Withers, Amy, Jo Crowley, Bernadette Baum, Ros Russell
Organizations:
Prudential, Authority, Metro Bank, HSBC, Lloyds, London, Reuters, The Financial Times, JPMorgan, Metro, Sky News, Santander, Shawbrook, Thomson