The Times of London is reporting that Nasdaq is looking to merge with a major European stock exchange in the near future according to a report in the Times of London.

The newspaper says that Wick Simmons, chairman of Nasdaq, said he wants a full-blown merger with either the London Stock Exchange, the Deutsche Börse, or the Paris exchange within the next 12 months. Simmons said that a deal with the LSE or the German market was most likely.

Simmons told the Times that he is determined to negotiate a “merger of equals” with a big European exchange as soon as possible. He is only interested in an all-stock deal that would give Nasdaq management control over the merged company.

A source at the LSE confirmed talks with Nasdaq were under way and that it would not be opposed to any deal that provided “genuine benefits”.