Kenyon: United and Arsenal fear us

CHELSEA chief executive Peter Kenyon has accused Arsenal and Manchester United of behaving like hypocrites and acting out of fear because their dominance is under threat.

Kenyon is angry at the way Chelsea’s image was constantly brought into question last season over a number of high profile incidents. The tapping-up saga involving Arsenal’s Ashley Cole is just one of many that Kenyon feels should have been handled much better.

The ill-feeling between the two seems to have no sign of abating and United have also been pointing the finger after Kenyon innocently bumped into their defender Rio Ferdinand, who has yet to sign a new contract at Old Trafford.

But Kenyon believes more responsibility lies at Arsenal’s and Manchester United’s door. He said: “I’m not confident things will be better at all with Arsenal. We won’t be going for Ashley Cole this season and if that improves it, that’s good. But we are not going to be sniped at either. We compete on the field and that is an important step.

“We don’t comment on other clubs but we are not just going to sit back and take it. I think it’s born out of hypocrisy and insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for 12 years and now there is a third kid and he looks like being more successful than the other two.

“Is it disruptive? Not really, it’s time consuming, but it’s not going to stop us from doing the job in hand and being the most successful club. You can’t ignore them, but we had an era when someone would pick up the phone and then have a conversation instead of putting it in writing and being a letter of complaint.

“You accept it, you don’t like it, you don’t put yourselves in that position, but some of the instances Chelsea have been vilified for this year go on every single day.

“It goes on with Chelsea players as well but we have just chosen not to complain.”

Kenyon only joined Chelsea on their US tour on Friday, but is flying back today to wrap up the signing of Lyon midfielder Michael Essien. The French club have demanded as much as £32m for the Ghanaian, but Kenyon is adamant Chelsea won’t be held to ransom.

He added: “The negotiations are ongoing. They have stalled while Lyon have been playing in Korea, but they are due back this week and I expect they’ll be picked up again.

“In an ideal world we would have had the squad together for this trip, but as long as we have him by August 31, I will be happy. The prices that are being quoted are unrealistic and we certainly don’t want to be doing that.”

Meanwhile, Kenyon has officially welcomed sporting director Frank Arnesen to the club having made a controversial switch from Tottenham. Arnesen will only be able to start work on September 1 as part of the deal struck with Spurs. Kenyon said: “In order to keep up the challenge to our rivals we needed a senior world football figure who could oversee the global scouting for young players, and also strengthen the structures already in place at Chelsea for the long-term. Frank was the outstanding candidate.

“His record in this field speaks for itself and Chelsea have already been the beneficiary of this in the guise of Arjen Robben, discovered by Frank when he was at PSV.

“Together with the team already in place, Frank will head-up scouting and the Academy, working in close co-operation with myself and José. He has unparalleled contacts in world football that can only benefit Chelsea.”