Sanchez deal being held up by Mkhitaryan
AN ‘aggressive’ Arsene Wenger accused referee Mike Dean of being dishonest and a ‘disgrace’ after Arsenal’s controversial match at West Bromwich on New Year’s Eve. The Arsenal boss was incensed when Dean awarded West Brom an 89th-minute penalty and barged into the referees’ dressing room after the 1-1 draw, according to an FA report. Wenger was given a three-match touchline ban and fined £40,000, with the FA concluding there was ‘simply no justification’ for his behaviour. The Frenchman was also warned about his comments before and after Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea on January 3, when he again complained about the West Brom game, saying Dean ‘saw what he wanted to see’ and suggested there was a refereeing bias against his team. Dean wrote: ‘As we’ve entered the dressing room after the game, Mr Wenger stood behind us in the doorway and told the West Brom steward to “let him in”.
‘He was very aggressive, leaning towards me, pointing aggressively at me, saying, “You’re not honest”. I replied, “So you’re calling me a cheat”.
‘He replied, “I maintain what I say, you’re not honest . . . you’ve done this to us many times before, you’re supposed to be professional, you’re a disgrace”.’
Wenger admitted the charge, while Arsenal submitted a ‘detailed response’.
The FA report said: ‘Mr Wenger is an incredibly experienced manager. He has occupied this position since 1996. This is his second misconduct charge within a 12-month period. There is no justification for this behaviour.’
Meanwhile, Henrikh Mkhitaryan (pictured) is expected to join Arsenal from Manchester United despite a warning from his agent that he could derail Alexis Sanchez’s transfer to Old Trafford. Mkhitaryan’s agent Mino Raiola insisted he will either leave on his own terms or jeopardise the swap deal with Sanchez. However, it is understood that Mkhitaryan accepts he has no future at United.