By Matt Phillips

High-profile bond-fund manager Jeffrey Gundlach says hes in the early stages of attempting to acquire the Buffalo Bills.

Im trying to put a group together to buy it, he said Thursday, adding that he has floated the idea to several wealthy clients for whom he manages money. The discussions are in the early stages, he said. Now, Im thinking about thinking about it.

Brought up in Buffalo, Gundlach was a star fund manager for Trust Co. of the West, or TCW, which he joined as a bond analyst in 1985. After an acrimonious split with TCW, Gundlach founded DoubleLine Capital, which is headquartered in Los Angeles.

Gundlach acknowledged that Bills owner Ralph Wilson is unlikely to part with the franchise while still living. He also acknowledged that buying a sports franchise in Western New York isnt a huge growth opportunity. Its not an investment, he said. Its because I love the Bills.