Vodafone and Liberty Global discussing transaction options?

UK telecoms giant Vodafone Group and Liberty Global are said to be discussing a range of potential transactions, including an outright merger, Bloomberg claims, citing people with knowledge of the matter. It is understood that the talks are informal and at a very early stage, while it has been noted that an agreement may well not be reached because of the complexity of the proposed transactions and regulatory concerns. Further, management issues, including questions over who might run the combined company and the role of Liberty Global chairman John Malone are also believed to be potential roadblocks to any deal. Among the options believed to be under discussion is a merger of Vodafone and Liberty Global’s European businesses, as well as a series of asset swaps. The report meanwhile claims that a merger of the two companies would be one of the largest deals ever based on enterprise value, with Liberty Global currently at about USD89 billion and Vodafone closer to USD141 billion.