Commerzbank will hold a first round of talks with UniCredit on Friday as the Italian lender presses for a possible tie-up. Commerzbank has, like some other banks, had a rocky history with big mergers and acquisitions over the years.

UniCredit SpA spoke with German officials about building a stake in Commerzbank AG before Berlin began selling its shares in the firm earlier this month, adding to the confusion around Germany’s position that it was unaware the move would be coming.

Commerzbank is setting itself higher profitability targets in its battle with the Italian bank UniCredit, which is pursuing a growing stake in the German lender. Commerzbank on Thursday announced plans to increase the return on equity for investors by more than 12% by 2027,