NEW YORK (Reuters) - National City Corp <NCC.N>, which has been battered by the housing downturn, is considering a plan to sell itself to rival KeyCorp <KEY.N>, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

If the transaction is to occur, the combined company would receive a capital infusion from private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co <KKR.UL>, sources told the newspaper.

On Tuesday the U.S. regional bank said its board is reviewing a range of strategic alternatives and that it had hired Goldman Sachs <GS.N> as its advisor.

Representatives of National City, KeyCorp, or KKR could not immediately be reached for comment.

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(Reporting by Justin Grant, editing by Elizabeth Fullerton)