David Dein has assured Alisher Usmanov he has a good relationship with the Arsenal board.

The former Emirates vice-chairman, who sold his Gunners shares to Usmanov, cleared the air at a meeting with the Russian billionaire.

An insider revealed to The Sun: "So much has been written about the supposed strained relationship David has with the board and most of it is well wide of the mark.

"Of course he feels he was unfairly squeezed out of Arsenal. But in his chat with Usmanov he said he would never do anything that would harm Arsenal."

Usmanov felt any rows between Dein and the board would hit his own ambition of taking control of the club.

After the share purchase, Usmanov made Dein non-executive chairman of his company Red and White Holdings, whose stake in Arsenal is now 23 per cent.