State-owned ABN Amro bank has been talking to other European banks about taking over cash-strapped parts of their operations, the Financial Times reports on Monday.

The paper bases its claims on an interview with CEO Gerrit Zalm in which the former finance minister says he has spoken to almost all his European competitors.
‘We are very well capitalised and we’re not in a position to have to shrink our balance sheet. We are certainly interested in taking over portfolios,’ Zalm is quoted as saying.
The FT says the plan for portfolio acquisitions is part of ABN Amro’s strategy to rebuild its indentity as an international bank, following its 2007 takeover and subsequent break up.