Yahoo's board of directors is believed to have met on Friday to discuss Microsoft's $44bn acquisition offer.

Reports in The Wall Street Journal suggest that the board conducted a phone meeting in which members discussed Microsoft's proposition as well as a possible counter-offer from Yahoo.

Microsoft made the offer for Yahoo on 1 February. At the time, the deal was valued at roughly $44bn. Due to a dip in Microsoft's stock price, the value of the offer has since dropped to $41bn.

The Yahoo board also reportedly mulled over its options for avoiding the takeover, including the sale of Yahoo's advertising business to Google.

Analysts have speculated that Yahoo would look to Google in an effort to preserve the company rather than be adopted by Microsoft.

Either outcome could raise anti-trust concerns, however, and Google has already said that a Microsoft purchase of Yahoo could represent a monopoly.

Microsoft urged US monopoly authorities in September to block Google's proposed acquisition of DoubleClick for $3bn.