It’s a shame to be talking about non-football matters after Arsenal’s best performance of the season so far, but the implications of David Dein’s sale of his shares to a Alisher Usmanov’s ‘Red and White’ are potentially far greater than the three points gained against Portsmouth yesterday.

Usmanov has indicated that he is interested in increasing his stake in the club, and someone has been buying available shares since Dein’s announcement last Thursday. Might be Usmanov, might not.

Many people will by now be aware of this article by Craig Murray, and it doesn’t make for a particularly enjoyable read if you are an Arsenal fan. This piece on the goonerboy blog sheds further light on the issue.

We are in murky waters here, but one question that this raises is how David Dein came to the decision to team up with Usmanov. On one level, it suggests that the former vice-chairman was so desperate for cash that he was not fussed who he sold to, as long as he could retain an interest in the club via the deal whilst pocketing the £75 million for his shares. Otherwise, why would he have not done some more thorough research on the background of Usmanov?

Perhaps it was naivety on Dein’s part, or desperation. Could a person with such a supposed background as the Russian oligarch’s suggested by Murray’s article pass the Premier League’s ‘fit and proper person’ test’? I’d suggest if they have enough money, the answer seems to be yes.

However, that doesn’t get David Dein off of the hook. Selling out to Usmanov is one thing, but then fronting his company indicates an acceptance of the man and his methods, thus tarring Dein with the same brush.

It’s an irony that Dein was forced to bring in Danny Fiszman at Arsenal several years ago due to someone else not conducting their business in a fair and reasonable manner, thus leaving Dein with huge debts that had to be cleared. Now he has become involved with a man who has swum the murky waters of Russian business practice. It’s like the wild west in the post-communism former Soviet Union. Who owns what is determined by a mix of who you know, how much you have to bribe the appropriate people and how many thugs you can afford to do your dirty work. Ownership of factories can change overnight due to a mixture of physical violence and corrupt judges. That’s the law.

Arsene Wenger is a man of principle. He has been quick to distance himself from the ownership issues at the club. I think privately, he will be disappointed with his friend’s choice of new ally. We await Dein’s next press conference with interest. It will take one hell of a charm offensive to persuade Arsenal fans that Alisher Usmanov is the kind of man they would want controlling their club. And the more David Dein learns about Usmanov’s background, the more he might be well advised to review his position as chairman of ‘red and white’.