Xerox is considering selling its financing unit, sources say.

(Reuters)- Xerox is considering selling a financing unit that lends money to customers to lease printers and equipment, making it more attractive to potential buyers after abandoning a $6,1 billion deal with Fujifilm Holdings, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday.

The divestment of the financing unit would remove approximately $3,6 billion in debt from Xerox, one of the sources said. Investors Carl Icahn and Darwin Deason, who took control of Xerox earlier this year, are preparing to auction off the company, which had a market value of $6,4 billion and total debt of $5,5 billion at the end of March.

Xerox has not made a final decision on the sale of its financing unit, sources said this week, asking not to be identified because the deliberations are confidential.

Xerox declined to comment, while representatives for Icahn and Deason did not respond to requests for comment.

Reuters reported in May that Apollo Global Management had shown interest in potentially buying Xerox. Reducing Xerox's liabilities through the sale of its financing unit would allow private equity firms to inject more debt into the company to obtain higher returns.