(Bloomberg) -- Barclays Plc is leading a group of banks backing TDR Capital and the Issa brothers on their multi-billion pound bid for Boots drugstore chain, according to people familiar with the matter.

As part of the debt financing, the Barclays-led group is considering selling a large unitranche deal to private lenders, the people said, asking not to be named because the talks are private. They are also discussing syndicating a senior and subordinated portion of the debt to investors. 

Britain’s billionaire Issa brothers, Zuber and Mohsin, are seen as the party to beat ahead of the deadline for proposals later this week. They submitted the highest offer in the first round, and are competing against Indian tycoon Mukesh Ambani, who is working on a bid with Apollo Global Management Inc. 

Billionaires Face Off in Final Battle for UK High Street Staple

The financing is also expected to consist of a mix of currencies. Representatives for TDR, the Issa Brothers and Barclays declined to comment. 

In total, the brothers and TDR have secured about 4 billion pounds ($4.9 billion) in financing. Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. has set an asking price for the company, which has more than 2,000 stores on UK high streets, at about 7 billion pounds.

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