The private-equity company Silver Lake, Alibaba Group and Russia’s Digital Sky Technologies are reportedly in talks over a potential joint bid for Yahoo.
Bloomeberg reported, citing three people with direct knowledge of the matter, that the group contacted Yahoo and its advisers to inform them of a possible offer.
Discussions are at early stage, said the report.
Last month, Yahoo fired CEO Carol Bartz and is planing a renewed strategy to pursue growth.
Last week, Alibaba chairman Jack Ma had said that he is "very interested" in buying Yahoo.
On 30 Spetember, Ma had said, "We are very interested in Yahoo because our Alibaba Group is so important to Yahoo, and Yahoo is also very important to us."
Ma added, "There are so many people who are interested in that, and we are also talking to them."
However, a deal involving Silver Lake, Alibaba and DST is likely to face opposition from US regulators, according to the report.
