Arsenal's board are opening up new dialogue with shareholder Alisher Usmanov.

The Daily Mail says Arsenal board's invitation extended to Russian-born billionaire Alisher Usmanov to watch the Premier League win over Manchester United from the directors' box at the Emirates Stadium marks a major change of relationships.

Barriers between the board and Usmanov were such that the club's major shareholder was not even given a car park pass while former vice-chairman David Dein was in charge of Usmanov's Arsenal share vehicle, Red & White Holdings.