Thaksin hopes to seal Man City deal in June-lawyer

BANGKOK, May 25 (Reuters) Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra hopes to complete a takeover of English Premier League soccer club Manchester City in early June, his spokesman said today.

''Everything is going smoothly,'' Thaksin's lawyer Noppadon Pattama told Reuters. ''We hope the deal will be formally concluded by early June.'' Thaksin, who has not returned to Thailand since being ousted in a bloodless coup in September, made an indicative proposal to Manchester City earlier this month but no further details have been released since.

But Noppadon said a formal tender had been made and the deal could be wrapped up as early as June 2.

But he still declined to confirm the size of the takeover, which a leading Thai newspaper put at 100 million pounds.

Thaksin, who failed in his efforts to buy Liverpool three years ago, is accused by coup leaders of corruption during his five years in office.

Thaksin is going to Tokyo on June 7 where he will be named a ''visiting professor'' at Takushoku University.

REUTERS TB RAI1025