MILAN, Oct 6 (Reuters) - France's Amundi AMUN.PA has made a higher than expected 4 billion euro ($4.5 billion) offer to buy UniCredit's CRDI.MI asset manager Pioneer, two sources close to the matter said on Thursday.
Amundi is one of four bidders vying for Pioneer, alongside an Italian consortium led by Poste Italiane PST.MI , Australia's Macquarie MQG.AX and British group Aberdeen Asset Management ADN.L , sources have said. of the sources said Poste was now looking for a financial partner to improve its own offer for Pioneer, which had previously been valued at around 3 billion euros.
Amundi, Europe's biggest asset manager, declined to comment. UniCredit was not immediately available for comment.
($1 = 0.8928 euros)