Mike Ashley makes a telling move in the Newcastle United takeover saga

Blackstone Chambers today issued a statement which revealed that they would be acting for the club and Ashley, its owner.

The statement read: “Shaheed Fatima QC and Nick De Marco QC are acting for Newcastle United FC and Mike Ashley (instructed by Dentons) in a dispute with the Premier League about its rejection of a takeover bid made by PCP Capital Partners, the Reuben Brothers and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia based on its Owners and Directors test.”

Fatima is described as a “widely-recognised and award-winning lawyer” on the chambers’ website, while Who’s Who Legal describe De Marco as a “top-tier sports silk”.

The club last week claimed that the Premier League had “rejected” a £300million takeover funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which withdrew its offer in late July.

A statement read: “Newcastle United can confirm that the Premier League has rejected a takeover bid made by PCP Capital Partners, the Reuben Brothers and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia based on its owners’ and directors’ test.

“This conclusion has been reached despite the club providing the Premier League with overwhelming evidence and legal opinions that PIF is independent and autonomous of the Saudi Arabian government.

“The club and its owners do not accept that Premier League chief executive Richard Masters and the Premier League have acted appropriately in relation to this matter.”

The Premier League disputed Newcastle’s claims in a statement of its own.