Verizon, long considered front-runner in the Yahoo asset sweepstakes, is closing in on a deal to take over the troubled Internet pioneer for about $5 billion, according to a published report Saturday.The deal, which could come as early as next week, would conclude a months-long process to find a buyer of Yahoo's core Internet business and end its status as an independent company. Negotiations are in advanced stages, a person with knowledge of the talks told the New York Times. USA TODAY could not immediately confirm the report.Verizon and Yahoo could not immediately be reached for comment.Verizon, scheduled to report financial results on Tuesday, has been the leading contender for Yahoo in a field of potential suitors that include AT&T, private equity firms and a group led by Quicken Loans co-founder Dan Gilbert, who has the backing of billionaire investor Warren Buffett's company, Berkshire Hathaway.
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