NEW YORK (Reuters) - MBNA Corp., the world's largest independent credit card lender, is the subject of mounting takeover talk within the market, with Wachovia Corp. considered a possible buyer, financial weekly Barron's reported in its May 30 edition.

The publication's Trader column pointed to the confluence of two events that have fanned the flames of speculation. In March, MBNA warned that its profits would not meet analysts' expectations, which pegged the company as a potential takeover target.

And last week, Wachovia filed a shelf registration to sell $22 billion of securities, which led market participants on Friday to buy MBNA stock but sell off Wachovia's.

Sanford Bernstein analyst Howard Mason said in a report last week that MBNA might decide it needs the wider product platform of a bank to become more competitive, and cited Wachovia by name, the publication said.

MBNA's stock, traded on the New York Stock Exchange, closed up 15 cents Friday.