Arsenal majority shareholder Alisher Usmanov insists he's not demanding a place on the board.

Usmanov recently criticised Arsenal's board in an open letter for failing to hold on to Robin van Persie. He called for Arsenal's finances to be strengthened through an injection of non-dividend-paying equity into the club.

"Arsenal received our letter," said Usmanov. "We didn't mean it as a hostile message or a declaration of war."

However, Usmanov does not want to be on the board himself.

"We are tired of being accused of fighting for a place on the board," he said. "We have never in our lives asked for this place."