By Pamela Barbaglia, Stephen Jewkes and Elvira Pollina
LONDON/MILAN (Reuters) - BC Partners has hired a company co-founded by former Juventus and Chelsea soccer star Gianluca Vialli to advise it on a deal to buy into Italian Serie A club Inter Milan, three sources told Reuters on Monday.
The European private equity firm is in talks to buy into Inter Milan as top investor Suning looks round for resources to inject into the loss-making club, sources have said.
A deal, which could value the former European champions at around 1 billion euros ($1.2 billion), would be the latest sign of interest from private equity investors in Italian soccer.
"Tifosy has been brought in to help BC Partners in its ambitions," one of the sources said.
BC Partners is currently performing due diligence on the Milanese soccer club and may buy out minority investors including investment firm LionRock Capital, which holds a 31% stake in the club, the sources said.
Sports advisory firm Tifosy Capital & Advisory was co-founded by Vialli along with a former Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) banker and two other investors.
The company's name is a play on the Italian word "tifosi", meaning fans.
BC Partners and LionRock declined to comment. Tifosy was not immediately available for a comment. ($1 = 0.8239 euros)