Citigroup Inc is selling shares at $3.15 apiece, far less than the $3.25 price at which the government bought them earlier this year, people briefed on the matter told Reuters.

A $3.15 sale price would be about 20 percent below Citigroup's closing share price on Friday, before the bank announced the deal early on Monday.

Television network CNBC reported the U.S. government has decided not to sell its shares at current prices. Citigroup said on Monday that the government would sell up to $5 billion of shares alongside the bank.

(Reporting by Dan Wilchins and Elinor Comlay; editing by Andre Grenon)

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