Alisher Usmanov launched a charm offensive yesterday to convince Arsenal fans and directors that he is a passionate supporter of the club and not a destabilising influence, although the billionaire businessman also confessed that he had considered setting aside his longstanding support for Arsène Wenger’s team and buying into Manchester United instead.

The metals magnate said that he had struck a deal with his business partner, Farhad Moshiri, a United supporter, that they would buy the first shares that became available, whether at the Emirates Stadium or Old Trafford. “If I had an opportunity to buy United, I would stop acting like a fan of Arsenal,” he said. Fortunately for him, the opportunity at Arsenal came up first - though last night he would have been celebrating in either case as both clubs won their Champions League ties, United beating AS Roma 1-0 at Old Trafford thanks to a goal from Wayne Rooney, while Arsenal were repeating that scoreline away to Steaua Bucharest, with Robin van Persie on target.

Speaking for the first time about his £120 million investment yesterday, Usmanov said that he understood the club’s initial wariness but claimed it was misplaced. He has not ruled out trying to gain control but, for now, he is preaching a message of peace and, in return, expecting the Arsenal board to embrace him.

In an attempt to show willingness, he has told David Dein to end his hostilities with the Arsenal directors. One reason for the board’s initial antipathy had been Usmanov’s involvement with Dein, the former vice-chairman who was driven out after a series of disagreements with the directors. Dein sold his 14.58 per cent stake to Usmanov for £75 million and became chairman of a new company, Red and White Holdings, set up with the intention of expanding that stake. It stands today at 23 per cent.

Dein is desperate to return to the club and Usmanov wants to exploit the former director’s strong ties with Wenger, the manager, but Dein could lose all involvement unless he buries the hatchet with those with whom he fell out, including Keith Edelman, the managing director.

“I am grateful that David decided to sell his shares to me and not someone else, but we don’t want his relationship with the board to affect in any way my relationship with the board,” Usmanov said. “I want to establish my own personal relationship. From the outside we will try to convince David to be less hostile to the board. And we will make an effort to pacify the board in their conflict with him.”

Peter Hill-Wood, the club chairman, has spoken out against Usmanov’s involvement, talking of “murky” business in Uzbekistan, but Usmanov claimed that Arsenal now regretted that outburst. He is expected to increase his stake to 25 per cent as quickly as he can but, with the rest of the major shareholders in a “lock-down” agreement until April, he said that he had no immediate plans to try to force a seat on the board or to interfere with the daily business of a club that he described as the best-run in the world.

“We don’t have any interest in bidding for the club, but this is business and life changes,” he said. “Something you can’t do today, you can do tomorrow. If a significant shareholder sells, the whole dynamic changes. We didn’t buy to make a quick turn, to resell.”