Motor Fuel Group is in talks over a £2bn deal to acquire Morrisons’ petrol forecourts.
MFG and Morrisons are both owned by US private equity giant Clayton Dubilier & Rice, meaning an agreement over the sale of the entirety, or the vast majority, of Morrisons’ 340 forecourts could come within a month or two.
CD&R bought the supermarket in a top-of-the-market deal in 2021 that dumped £6.6bn of debt onto its balance sheet.
CD&R has said it values Morrisons’ freehold estate, but a sale of its forecourts would intensify concerns that its vast asset base will be exploited to pay down debt. CD&R has already sold off seven distribution centres and a few supermarkets.