U.S. office supply chains Office Depot Inc and OfficeMax Inc are in advanced discussions for a merger, a person familiar with the matter said on Monday.

A deal could come as soon as this week, that person said, adding that the talks were ongoing and could still fall apart.

Currently, the deal is expected to be structured as a stock-for-stock transaction, the person said.

Neither company responded to requests seeking comment.

(Reporting by Nadia Damouni; Editing by Dale Hudson)