MILAN, May 22 (Reuters) - Italy's top insurer Generali

appointed on Thursday Deloitte Financial Advisory and

law firm Advant Ntcm as advisers for the bid launched by

merchant bank Mediobanca for the private bank Banca Generali.

Mediobanca unveiled a plan to acquire Banca

Generali, in which Generali holds a 50.2% stake, in a

deal worth 6.3 billion euros ($7.1 billion), last month.

The acquisition would be financed with the shares currently

held by Mediobanca in the insurer.

The Italian merchant bank, which is the biggest investor in

Generali with a 13% stake, is itself seeking to ward off an

unsolicited bid from smaller rival Banca Monte dei Paschi (MPS)

, as part of a complex web of interconnected Italian

finance M&A deals.

Zaoui & Co, Morgan Stanley ( MS ) and BofA will advise Generali's

management team on the Mediobanca offer, according to a source

with knowledge of the situation.