Barclays seen on lookout for U.S. bank

Barclays has a chequered history in the U.S.

It aggressively expanded there in the 1970s and had about 600 offices and branches across 36 states by 1981. But it hit troubles as losses from soured property loans in New York and California and oil and gas ventures contributed to a jump in bad debts, and by the early 1990s it was retreating.

Its profile there has risen after the Lehman deal, and on Thursday Barclays President Bob Diamond will "break ground" at the Barclays Centre, an 18,000-seat sports arena in Brooklyn, New York, that will be home to Nets basketball team.

(Additional reporting by Victoria Howley; Editing by Dan Lalor and Sharon Lindores)