Private equity fund also linked to grocer
UK market leader Tesco has been linked with talk of an audacious bid for Dutch grocery powerhouse Ahold. City rumours flew that Tesco might attempt to buy Ahold's European operations.

Private equity fund KKR was also linked with a deal to snap up Ahold's company's US retail and foodservice operations.

Since a financial scandal rocked Ahold in 2003, chief executive Anders Moberg has been pursuing a recovery programme that has led to an exit from markets in the Americas and Asia, effectively consolidating into the US and Northern Europe.

Neither Tesco or Ahold would comment on the rumours.