Dutch supermarket giant Ahold would be prepared to move its headquarters to Belgium and approve a Belgian CEO if it forms an alliance with Belgian counterpart Delhaize, the Financieele Dagblad reports this morning.

Sources told the paper that the two companies have agreed the outline for a new organisation, including the setting up of European and US divisions. The biggest stumbling block to any merger continues to be finances, the paper reports. Delhaize is said to be demanding a merger of equals, but Ahold is twice as big as the Belgian company. ‘The talks can still break down at any moment,’ one source told the paper.