// Final bids are expected to be lodged for Boots this month with a winner set to be named next month
// Four parties are understood to still be in the running, including private equity firms Apollo, TDR Capital and Sycamore
The Boots sale process is coming to a close with final round bids due for the chemist later this month.
Owner Walgreens put Boots up for sale in January with four parties still in the running, including private equity giants Apollo, TDR Capital and Sycamore. A winner is likely to be revealed next month, according to the Mail on Sunday.
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Walgreens could be facing a big loss on Boots after it emerged that one of the parties that had been interested in the firm were valuing the retailer at a substantially reduced rate.
Walgreens has been eyeing a £7 billion sale, however a consortium of CVC and Bain, which ultimately withdrew from takeover talks last month, would only pay £4 billion for Boots.
This is significant as CVC’s UK chief Dominic Murphy is a Walgreens board member and has spent 15 years working with Boots.
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