By Valentina Za and Andrea Mandala MILAN (Reuters) -Shares in Italy’s Banco BPM climbed on Friday after renewed speculation that larger Italian rival UniCredit could launch a takeover bid for the lender. The bank’s shares closed up 9.8% at 3.55 euros, having gained around 35% since the beginning of the year and over 60% in the last 12 months, as the company is seen as a possible M&A target. Responding to media reports of a potential bid, a UniCredit spokesperson played down the prospect of any imminent deal but did not dismiss the idea entirely. “… in line with the 2022-2024 Strategic Plan, …