Glencore’s former top copper trader and now billionaire investor Aristotelis (Telis) Mistakidis has resumed talks to buy Aegean Baltic Bank (ABBank) and has struck a preliminary agreement to assume a controlling stake in the small but expanding Greek shipping lender.

The initial deal will see Mistakidis buy the 24% stake held in the company by Greek shipowner John Coustas, who heads US-listed container ship and bulker owner Danaos Corp, according to sources speaking on condition of anonymity.