Media mogul Antony Catalano and Seven West Media reportedly were in talks about a potential deal on the Seven-owned West Australian Newspapers.
Sources also said Catalano and SWM engaged in discussions to scale up ACM.
The AFR had previously reported Seven sent out financials on WAN to a mystery party, but the identity of the party in question has only been revealed now.
This all happened around the same time there were reports News Corp Australia was in discussion with ACM to sell its stable of over 100 community and regional titles to Catalano.
News Corp previously put its regional publishing business up for sale but withdrew it following the merger of Nine and Fairfax in 2018, and then Catalano brought ACM from Nine in June last year for $125m.