Alex Ferguson's suspicions about Peter Kenyon descended into open hostility last night, with the possibility of further recriminations, when he poured scorn on the Chelsea chief executive's explanation for dining with Rio Ferdinand in a London restaurant.

Ferguson said Manchester United had been treated "with contempt" by their former employee.

Ferguson is so incensed he floated the possibility of filing an official complaint to the Premier League to go with the existing inquiry into Chelsea's alleged meeting with Arsenal's Ashley Cole at a London hotel. The United manager suspects Kenyon orchestrated the encounter with Ferdinand and his agent Pini Zahavi and, making no secret of his disgust, he broke his silence to deride Chelsea's version that it was "purely by chance". "My concern is our supporters and what they think, so I'm letting know that I'm not happy about it whatsoever," said Ferguson. "We're leaving the matter with the authorities but I think they were aware of it anyway. We are definitely discussing what to do next."

Ferguson later found an unusual ally in Arsenal's manager Arsene Wenger and, choosing his words carefully, he added: "I can't say I'm overly encouraged by Peter Kenyon's words that he doesn't want to sign Rio. And I have to say that when the chief executive of a Premier League club, with the history they've got in recent times, continues to sit in that restaurant . . . well, it's contempt, them thumbing their nose at us. I'd say it was ill advised at the very least."

Ferguson has been deeply suspicious of Kenyon's motives since his defection to Stamford Bridge but it was a measure of his anger this was the first time he has felt compelled to speak out against a man who, as United's chief executive until September 2003, is privy to all sorts of supposedly classified information at Old Trafford, not least the salaries of players such as Ferdinand.

Ferguson blames Kenyon for Chelsea gazumping their transfer of Arjen Robben from PSV Eindhoven last summer and any remaining cordiality has been dispelled since details emerged of Saturday's rendezvous in Carpaccio restaurant.

Officials at Old Trafford had previously suggested the club had accepted Kenyon's version of events but when this was put to Ferguson he blew out his cheeks and shook his head in disbelief. "That might be someone else's view here but it's certainly not my view," he said.

Wenger pithily described the Ferdinand controversy as "a movie I feel I've seen already" and he wants the Premier League to make sure there are no more sequels. "I respect what Chelsea are doing on the pitch but I expect them to behave and respect the rules off the pitch, like everybody else."

The Premier League will investigate United's grievances only if there is an official complaint.

Inadvertently Ferguson may also have made life more difficult for Ferdinand, whose cultured performances have failed to win over some of the more sceptical supporters.

Guardian Service