Quoted in investor publication Barron's at the weekend, Gannett CEO Douglas McCorkindale said he would look at any assets that would fit in with its existing operations, including the business daily.
"If the Pearson group wanted to sell the Financial Times, I'd look at it very closely."
He added that he would also be interested in Wall Street Journal-owner Dow Jones.
The company, which owns regional newspaper group Newsquest in the UK, has a stock market value of about $23bn, according to Barron's.
It is well respected on Wall Street and is expected to post full-year revenues of $6.7bn for 2003, up from $6.3bn last time.
It has also lowered its debt to $4.2bn, down from its peak of $5.7bn, which has strengthened its balance sheet making it well placed to take advantage of companies such as the FT, which have been weakened by the recession.
Speculation has been mounting that Pearson would put its flagship newspaper up for sale as it has struggled in the face of the advertising recession.
Its parent Pearson posted a first half pre-tax loss of £1m down from a profit of £26m for the same period last year, which it blamed on an 18% fall in advertising revenues at its flagship newspaper Financial Times.
However, Pearson CEO Marjorie Scardino has repeatedly denied that she would consider selling the paper.
In the UK, Newsquest has been on an aggressive acquisition trail in the local newspaper market. It owns more than 300 regional newspapers, including the Glasgow Herald, which it bought earlier this year when it acquired the local newspaper assets of Scottish Media Group for £216m.
However, it's luck ran out last month when the Competition Commission blocked its planned £60m purchase of Independent News & Media's local London newspapers.
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