Barclays' battle for control of ABN Amro has taken a fresh twist with authorities in the Netherlands signalling they would allow a rival bidder to take over the Dutch bank, even if it meant it was broken up and sold off to different groups.

Nout Wellink, president of the Dutch central bank, told the Financial Times that the regulator would not object in principle to a bid from a foreign group that wanted to buy ABN Amro in order to break it up.