UniCredit S.p.A. (BIT:UCG) might consider buying Banca Carige S.p.A. - Cassa di Risparmio di Genova e Imperia (BIT:CRG) if such a deal came with state financial support, two sources close to the matter said. The government set up a $1.5 billion fund this week to support Carige after the European Central Bank put it under temporary administration, following the bank's failure to raise capital from investors. But the source added that UniCredit might be swayed if the state offered financial support with such a deal.

UniCredit declined to comment while Carige said it would say no more after comments made by its commissioners. A second source also said UniCredit was likely to bow to pressure eventually. “Certainly Mustier will demand that any eventual deal be done on the same conditions as Intesa Sanpaolo's acquisition of the Veneto banks,” the source said.