BANGKOK, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has made a formal bid to take over Manchester City Football Club, media here reported Saturday.

    Thaksin's lawyer Noppadon Pattama confirmed that Thaksin had rendered a bid for the team, according to a report by local news group The Nation, quoting British media sources.

    However, Noppadon denied reports that a 100-million-pound (about 198 million U.S. dollars) takeover had already been agreed, saying "The deal is not formally or legally concluded yet."

    British media reported earlier that Thaksin emerged as the front-runner to buy the English football club.

    As a potential buyer, Thaksin has been granted access to the club's accounts and his advisers will carry out the evaluation before reporting their findings to him, the report said.

    Thaksin was first linked with the Premier League three years ago when he made a 65-million-pound (129 million U.S. dollars) bid to buy Liverpool but the club rejected his proposal.