MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's Santander (MC:SAN) is not looking at Italian bank Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MI:BMPS), Chief Executive Javier Marin said on Tuesday.
Media in Italy had cited Santander as a potential acquirer or backer for the bank, which is trying to tackle a 2.1-billion-euro (2.63 billion US dollar) capital shortfall unveiled by a Europe-wide health check.
"We have had no contacts in respect to this," Marin told investors on a conference call following third quarter results.
He added that Santander would look at opportunities in Portugal. Portugal recently sounded out Spanish banks on their interest in buying Novo Banco there, the successor to rescued Banco Espirito Santo.
(1 US dollar = 0.7991 euro)
(Reporting by Jesus Aguado, Writing by Sarah White; Editing by Paul Day)