(Telecompaper) Vodafone has begun talks to acquire Spain's Masmovil with the three private equity funds who have just taken it over, according to unnamed sources cited by business daily El Economista. The transaction values Masmovil at around EUR 6 billion, including EUR 2 billion in debt, and would result in Spain's third largest operator acquiring the country's fourth. Market sources consulted in the report said a consolidation of Spain's leading operators is "inevitable" in view of an increasingly crowded market that expanded to 5 nationwide domestic operators earlier this year with the launch of Euskaltel's Virgin Telco brand.