Mike Ashley's takeover lawyer Nick de Marco revealed he had held a meeting with Newcastle's hierarchy as he attended United's FA Cup game at the Emirates stadium.
De Marco is leading legal action against the Premier League on behalf of Newcastle owner Ashley, who is unhappy at the way the authorities dealt with last summer's takeover bid by a consortium led by the Saudi PIF.
The club confirmed the legal action last year and De Marco has been a regular on social media, with Newcastle fans looking for clues in his posts.
But Saturday night saw the first indication that legal action is continuing - with De Marco revealing a meeting with Newcastle ahead of the match, which he attended in person.
De Marco tweeted: "Had a meeting with NUFC today at the Emirates & joining them to watch the #FACup tie v Arsenal now. First behind closed doors match I’ve attended, & first game since end of Feb ‘20. Hope it’s a good old fashioned cup tie!"
The legal action against the Premier League, which appears to be over the way the Owners and Directors test was applied, is being seen as a potential game changer in the long-running takeover saga.
This week saw movement in the Gulf as Saudi Arabia agreed to end the boycott of Qatar, which has raised hopes that the issue of piracy may be resolved and help smooth the way for the takeover to be resurrected.
Newcastle fans remain overwhelmingly behind the takeover bid.
