Credit Suisse is aiming to triple the size of its European metals trading team in the next year as part of a plan to displace rivals Barclays Capital and Goldman Sachs as the sector's top investment bank.

The Swiss bank hired Adam Knight, former head of global metals trading at Goldman Sachs, last week to spearhead growth in the business. It was its second big hire in less than three months after recruiting Alex Toone, Barclays Capital's former co-head of commodities sales and trading.