Enterprise’s venture capital owners 3i are understood to be on the verge of closing a deal with Ferrovial, which owns Amey in the UK.

Carillion is also understood to have looked at buying the firm but is said to have walked away.

The venture capital firm bought Enterprise for £700m in 2007, making it 3i’s biggest investment in the UK.

But the acquisition turned sour as the private equity company struggled to cope with the company’s huge debt burden and was put up for sale earlier this year.

Both firms would not comment on the report in the Sunday Times.

The deal would at a step expand Ferrovial’s presence in the UK taking on over 13,000 people working from over 150 locations nationwide.

Amey and Enterprise compete in the UK for road maintenance work but otherwise the deal would extend Ferrovial’s reach into public sector work including housing.