Barclays and Deloitte in head to head battle to lure Sants

Hector Sants, the former Financial Services Authority (FSA) chief, is now understood to be in talks with Barclays just days after being linked with a position at Deloitte.

According to Sky, Sants (pictured) could take on a regulatory or compliance position at the bank.

Speculation about Sants' appointment not only follows rumours he could join 'big four' consultancy Deloitte, but comes after Barclays' new boss Antony Jenkins has sought to put the Libor manipulation troubles behind the bank with a board reshuffle.

If Sants takes on a role, the move would see him join forces with the bank hewarned back in 2010 about its appointment of then-chief executive Bob Diamond.

During the Treasury Select Committee's investigation into the Libor scandal, a detailed, written exchange between Sants and the bank's former chair Marcus Agius was made public in which the former FSA head stressed an investigation was ongoing and Barclays should be aware the 'position could change'.