Private equity firms are seeking out ambitious public-to-private deals on the European stock market at the fastest pace since before the financial crisis.

Seeking an outlet for their glut of uninvested capital, buyout firms have already agreed take-private transactions worth more than $27bn so far in 2018, according to Dealogic — the largest sum since 2007. With nearly a quarter of the year still to go, deal value has already far surpassed the previous post-crisis high of $20bn set last year.