As the Guardian launches into Europe, German newspaper giant Axel Springer has renewed its interest in moving into the UK by bidding for the Telegraph.

The publisher of mass-market tabloid Bild and the weightier Die Welt has registered its interest with Goldman Sachs in the auction for Telegraph Media Group, expected to start later this month.

Lloyds Banking Group took control of both the Telegraph and Spectator magazine in June after talks with the Barclay family over repayment of more than £1 billion (A$1.9 billion) of debt broke down.

Axel Springer is understood to have long wanted to own a major UK newspaper, and failed to buy the Financial Times when it was outbid by Japan’s Nikkei in 2015. It has since acquired Business Insider and Politico.

Others interested in bidding for TMG are understood to include the Daily Mail & General Trust, a consortium formed by GB News co-owner Sir Paul Marshall, former Mirror Newspapers chief David Montgomery, and Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský.

According to the Guardian – which launched Guardian Europe last month – Sir William Lewis is also expected to bid. Knighted by Boris Johnson in his resignation honours, the former media executive became editor of the Telegraph – which he reportedly described as “a shambles” – in 2006, and went on to work for News International in the UK and as chief executive of Dow Jones.