DMGT, which is ultimately controlled by Viscount Rothermere, has appointed boutique advisory firm Cardean Bell to work on a strategic review of the free newspaper, City sources said. Metro, the freesheet that was set up in 1999 and within five years drew a readership of 1m, could change hands for between £25m and £35m.
Paul Zwillenberg, DMGT’s new chief executive, is said to be keen to “streamline” the group. Aside from its newspapers, DMGT owns a huge portfolio that includes financial data provider DMG Information and Risk Management Solutions, a software company that helps insurers predict disasters.