Spaniard wants 10 pct of Northern Rock-paper

MADRID, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Spanish businessman Jose Maria Ruiz-Mateos is looking at buying up to 10 percent of troubled British lender Northern Rock NRK.L, newspaper El Mundo reported on Thursday.

A 10 percent share for Ruiz-Mateos would be enough for him to take control of the bank's management, sources close to the businessman told El Mundo.

Ruiz-Mateos, who the paper said on Tuesday first approached Northern Rock last week, previously built up a large business empire but had many of his assets confiscated by the socialist government in the 1980s.

((Reporting by Jason Webb; editing by Paul Bolding; Reuters Messaging: jason.webb.reuters.com@reuters.net; +34 91 585 2167)) Keywords: NORTHERNROCK/SPAIN

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