Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Active has put in a bid to purchase parts of Esporta, the health club chain which is up for sale.
Virgin Active, which recently appointed former Alliance Boots boss, Richard Baker, as non-executive chairman, submitted a proposal to purchase the Esporta club sites which do not overlap with its own gym estate.
Virgin bought 13 of Esporta's non-core clubs three years ago as part of its plan to focus on the premium sector in the UK. The deal included six clubs in Spain and seven in the UK.
It is thought that Greenhill, who is handling the sale, has been considering offers for parts of Esporta, but would prefer to sell it as a going concern.
In the second round, bidders are understood to include the David Lloyd Leisure Group, LA Fitness, private equity firms Advent and 3i, and KSL Capital Partners, a US buyout firm.
Esporta has 55 health and leisure clubs within the UK and is estimated to be worth between £150 and £200 million. The company also has property valued at £250 million.
