The £6.8 billion takeover of Asda by the Issa brothers has hit a snag.
The billionaire duo, who started off their business empire with a single petrol station in Bury, have been told they will need to sell 27 fuel stations for the takeover to go ahead, the Mirror reports.
The competitions watchdog said Mohsin and Zuber Issa — who own the Euro Garages business — would have to sell part of their network for the transaction to be reconsidered.
The warning from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) comes amid concerns the purchase of Asda could lead to higher petrol prices in some parts of the country.
The CMA previously said these overlaps would financially impact consumers and could leave them worse off.
The watchdog first launched an investigation into the Asda takeover in December, after the deal was given the go-ahead by Walmart.
Its job was to investigate what impact the merger could have on competition and prices in the UK.
Under the new ownership, the self-made billionaires will join TDR to acquire a majority stake in Britain's big four grocer.
Bosses previously said the sale would include a £1bn cash injection for Asda, a greater focus on British produce and a long-term pledge to deliver more "competitive prices" for fuel customers.
Judith McKenna, chief executive officer of Walmart International said: "We are delighted to be able to announce this deal today, which we believe creates the right ownership structure for Asda, building on its 71 year-heritage, whilst bringing a new entrepreneurial flair, not only to Asda, but also to UK retailing."
The Issa brothers said they were 'very proud to be investing in Asda', describing it as "an iconic British business that we have admired for many years".
If the deal goes through they will become the first British owners of the supermarket chain in 20 years.
"After a successful period as part of Walmart we are looking forward to helping Asda build a differentiated business that will continue to serve customers brilliantly in communities across the UK," a statement from the Issa brothers said.
Gary Lindsay at investment firm TDR Capital added: "We are proud to be investing alongside Mohsin and Zuber, who have built EG Group into a global convenience retailer and will now bring that experience to bear at Asda."
