Vodafone in talks to sell Italian unit to Swisscom

British telecoms giant Vodafone is in advanced talks to sell its Italian unit to Switzerland’s Swisscom, agreeing on a preliminary price of eight billion euros ($8.7 billion), the companies said Wednesday.

Vodafone, which previously rejected offers from French billionaire Xavier Niel’s Iliad group, said it has “engaged extensively with several parties to explore market consolidation in Italy”.