Manchester City may be forced to change owners for the second time within a year.
The Manchester Evening News says at least three groups - believed to be based in the Middle East and India - have been approached by an intermediary with a brief to find the money to catapult City into the Premier League top four.
However, financial analysts say big money investors are likely to want full control and could launch a full-blown buy-out bid - and that would leave billionaire Thaksin, 59 with a major dilemma as he's facing corruption charges in his homeland and still has £800m of his fortune frozen.