The battle for control of IT recruiter MSB International has taken another twist, with another bidder emerging.

IT recruiter Networkers International has made an "indicative offer" of 73p a share cash, which would value MSB at £14.9m. This tops the £13.3m bid to which MSB had already agreed, from Keyman Personnel, run by Peter Flaherty and Bryan Lloyd.

Networkers, which listed on the Alternative Investment Market this year, made its approach the day before MSB was due to formally approve Keyman's bid at an extraordinary general meeting.

MSB will have to pay Keyman a break fee of £125,000 if it does not go ahead with the deal the two companies announced on 4 August.

MSB said: "Having considered this approach and the evidence of the availability of finance to enable the offer to be completed, if made, the directors of the Company have concluded that the approach is genuine and deserves due consideration."

MSB initially announced in March that it had received an approach. This had come from Quantica, but the company subsequently did not proceed with an offer. Likewise, Networkers considered making a bid but did not initially proceed. Sources say it may have simply have taken the firm a long time to raise the finance.

As the magazine went to press, Lloyd told Recruiter: "We're thinking about our next move. We may match the offer, or walk away."

MSB chief executive Andrew Zielinski had been due to leave the company when Keyman took control, but he may now stay long enough to see through a new bid process.