Google said to mull DoubleClick buy

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Google is said to be a contender to acquire Web advertising placement firm DoubleClick after Microsoft was reported to be considering buying the company, according to a news report Monday.

The price for DoubleClick, a company that sees a sizeable piece of the online advertising placement market, is believed to now stand above $2 billion, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The news casts a shadow over Microsoft's (Charts) reported plans for acquiring the company although the No. 1 software company could make a higher offer, according to the report.

Microsoft was reported to be in talks with DoubleClick on Mar. 28, also in the Wall Street Journal.

Google (Charts), the No. 1 Web search firm, is joining a crowded field of possible suitors for the firm, including Time Warner's (Charts) AOL and Yahoo (Charts), the newspaper reported.

DoubleClick is majority owned by private equity firm Hellman & Friedman.

Time Warner owns CNNMoney.com.

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DoubleClick reported in Microsoft talks