SYDNEY, April 30 (Reuters) - Australia's Wesfarmers Ltd.(WES.AX: Quote, Profile , Research) confirmed it was in talks with Archie Norman, whohelped revive British supermarket chain Asda, as it pursues aA$19.7 billion ($16 billion) bid for retailer Coles Group Ltd.(CGJ.AX: Quote, Profile , Research).

Wesfarmers Chief Executive Richard Goyder said Norman, wholed a transformation of Asda's retail businesses in the 1990s,had been in Australia recently for discussions.

"I envisage Archie will have a very senior advisory role bybeing actively engaged in the entity we propose to set up toown and manage the Coles supermarkets, liquor, petrol andgeneral merchandising businesses," Goyder said in a statement.

Goyder noted another former Asda executive, and morerecently a Coles executive, Steven Cain, was also closelyinvolved through his role with bid consortium member PacificEquity Partners (PEP).

Conglomerate Wesfarmers, whose businesses include hardwarestores, insurance and coal mines, is battling a private equityconsortium led by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts [KKR.UL].

Under its proposal, Wesfarmers would own 50 percent ofColes' core businesses, with the remainder held by itsconsortium partners, private equity firms PEP and Permira andMacquarie Bank Ltd. (MBL.AX: Quote, Profile , Research).

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