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* Talks aimed at creating additional Italian mobile operator
* Hutchison seeking antitrust nod on merger of 3 Italia andWind
* Third attempt by Iliad's Niel to expand outside France (Recasts, adds detail, context)
By Foo Yun Chee and Mathieu Rosemain
BRUSSELS/PARIS, July 4 (Reuters) - France's Iliad is in exclusive talks on a deal to create a fourth Italianmobile telecoms operator that would smooth the way for CKHutchison Holdings to merge its 3 Italia withVimpelcom's Wind, sources close to the matter said onMonday.
A fourth player would help Hutchison to gain antitrustapproval for a merger that would leave Telecom Italia and Vodafone Italia as the only other mobile networkcompetitors in Italy.
Hutchison had offered frequencies and infrastructure assetsto Iliad in competition with Swisscom's Italianbroadband business Fastweb, but Iliad is now in pole position,the sources said.
It is the third attempt by billionaire Xavier Niel, majorityowner of Iliad, to expand his activities outside France, wherehe is known for having triggered a price war in 2012 with FreeMobile's low-cost services.
Niel first tried to get a foothold in the United States withan ultimately unsuccesful bid for Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile unit in 2014. He also considered a move into theBritish market this year.
The European Commission will have the final say on whetherIliad can compete effectively with the existing networkoperators.
Hutchison could receive a decsision from the Commission bythe end of the week, one of the sources said.
Spokeswomen for Iliad and Hutchison were not immediatelyavailable to comment. (Additional reporting by Gwenaelle Barzic; Editing by DavidGoodman)
