Seven & i Holdings Co is considering a management buyout to take itself private with funding from banks, Itochu Corp, and the founding Ito family in a transaction that could be worth ¥9 trillion (US$58 billion or RM258.63 billion), people with knowledge of the matter said. The deal could be presented as an option for shareholders in the event that Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc becomes more aggressive with its pursuit of Seven & i and makes a tender offer, the people said, asking not to be identified because the negotiations haven't been made public. The operator of 7-Eleven stores hasn't said anything publicly since Couche-Tard increased its proposed price for Seven & i to US$18.19 a share last month to value the Japanese retailer at ¥7.2 trillion. Seven & i had rebuffed an earlier, lower offer by the Canadian operator of Circle K stores and embarked on a restructuring aimed at unlocking value. A deal with Couche-Tard would be the biggest-ever foreign takeover of a Japanese company.