Former JD Sports boss Peter Cowgill is said to be considering a return to retail to head up a a luxury menswear brand.

Cowgill, who stepped down in last year after 18 years, is understood to have been contacted by a private equity group about taking on a senior role at Mainline Menswear, The Telegraph reported.

The brand’s owner – JD Sports – is said to be speaking to prospective buyers for the designer label as it looks to focus more on sportswear.

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Sources told the publication that private equity and trade bidders were interested in Cowgill being involved in any successful offer.

Mainline Menswear founder Stuart Hicks has also been approached about heading up the business if a sale was successful.

It is thought discussions are at a very early stage, with JD sports only recently approaching perspective bidders.

The retailer bought a majority stake in the brand, which sells such as Emporio Armani, Hugo Boss and Ralph Lauren online, at the start of 2014.

Cowgill works as a consultant for JD Sports as part of the terms in his £5.5m exit package.

The former chief executive made headlines several months before his resignation when the CMA hit JD Sports with a fine £4.3m following a secret meeting with Footasylum CEO, and former JD chief executive, Barry Bown.

The CMA was investigating JD’s potential acquisition of Footasylum at the time and said the clandestine meeting in a car park, where commercially sensitive information was shared, breached its rules.

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