Thaksin few weeks for City

Manchester City may have to wait up to three weeks for Thaksin Shinawatra's takeover of the club to be completed, giving the new regime little time to prepare for the new season.

According to Keith Harris, executive chairman of Seymour Pierce Investment and the intermediary in Thaksin's takeover, it could take up to 21 days for Thaksin to assume full control at Eastlands.

Harris said: "The takeover could be completed three days after that, or as long as 21 days after that."

A new manager - possibly Sven-Goran Eriksson - is on the verge of being appointed with changes to the current squad needing to be addressed before the new Barclays Premier League season starts on August 11.

Thaksin has had more than £1billion in assets frozen by the current Thai government as part of an investigation into corruption allegations, but Harris insists this poses no threat to the takeover.

"A number of his bank accounts have been frozen. Some of them are personal and some corporate," Harris told BBC Radio Five Live's Sportsweek programme.

"But the money used to finance the takeover and used to invest in the club are in bank accounts in England and beyond their (the Thai government's) reach. An offer document for the takeover bid will come out in the next couple of days."