Probably only 13 companies around the world have the size, fit and appetite to take over Barclays Global Investors, the passive asset manager whose owner, UK bank Barclays, is negotiating its sale. Of these, only seven are seen as anything more than remote contenders and one - BlackRock - stands out ahead of all the rest.

The price tag of $10bn that Barclays is discussing for BGI, combined with the specialist nature of the business, means only the largest quoted companies with significant asset management operations have a realistic chance of taking over BGI - if it is not to fall into the hands of a buyout firm. It would be the largest ever deal in the asset management industry, exceeding BlackRock's $8.5bn acquisition of Merrill Lynch Investment Managers in 2006.