Intesa open to list private banking, asset manager - paper

MILAN, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Italy's leading retail bank Intesa Sanpaolo is weighing the option to list its private banking and asset management units, its chief executive Carlo Messina told daily La Repubblica on Monday.

"Growth is the goal and I am ready to weigh the listing of these two companies if this will make their development easier," Messina was quoted as saying by the Italian paper.

Asked about Coutts International after the Italian bank said in November it was looking at the wealth management arm of Royal Bank of Scotland, Messina said he was not interested in buying only the international division of the company.

The CEO confirmed Intesa was not looking at acquiring Italian struggling lenders such as Banca Carige and Monte dei Paschi (Milan: BMPS.MI - news) .

(Reporting by Francesca Landini; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath)