Ollie Watkins was wanted by Arsenal in the January transfer window (NurPhoto/Shutterstock)

Rio Ferdinand believes Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins ‘deserves’ a move to Arsenal this summer.

Mikel Arteta’s side are in the…

Casemiro shone in Manchester United’s victory over Athletic Bilbao (Picture: Getty)

Rio Ferdinand singled out Casemiro for praise during Manchester United’s 3-0 win over ten-man Athletic Bilbao, applauding the midfielder for &#…

Rio Ferdinand has changed his Champions League final prediction as Arsenal, PSG, Barcelona and Inter Milan prepare for the decisive semi-final second legs.

Arsenal eliminated Champions League holders Real Madrid in the quarter-finals but will need to overturn a one-goal deficit in Paris to reach the final.

PSG knocked out Premier League champions Liverpool on route to the semis and beat Arsenal 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium to put one foot in the final.

In the other semi-final tie, Barcelona twice came from behind to draw 3-3 with Inter Milan in a European classic.

Barca, sitting top of La Liga and having won the Copa del Rey at the weekend, visit Serie A title challengers Inter next week with the tie finely poised.

Speaking ahead of the semi-final first legs, Ferdinand tipped PSG to face Inter Milan in the Champions League final, but the Manchester United legend and ex-England defender has now changed his prediction.

‘I’m going to go Barcelona against Paris Saint-Germain,’ he said on his YouTube channel.

‘If there is a team who can go to PSG and win it’s Arsenal. I don’t think it’s about ability at this stage, I think it’s about mentality and belief.

‘In Bukayo Saka they’ve got a matchwinner who can turn the game on its head. There’s positives there but if the mindset isn’t right, they will get smoked, I’m telling you.

‘The problem for Arsenal is PSG are a proper team, I don’t think they’re invincible but they’ve been the best team in the Champions League.’

Ferdinand believes a Paris Saint-Germain vs Barcelona semi-final would be the most exciting final and potentially make way for a new era of attacking football.

‘If you’re a football purist, you want the two most attacking and free teams in the final,’ he added. ‘PSG and Barcelona are the two most attacking and free teams in terms of letting their attacking players just go.

‘I think that would make for an unbelievable spectacle and throw us into a different cycle where managers attack more.

‘Luis Enrique and Hansi Flick could be the managers to follow in terms of their philosophy instead of Pep Guardiola who has been great at it in a great era.’

Premier League record goalscorer Alan Shearer, meanwhile, says Arsenal still ‘have a chance’ of getting past PSG and reaching the Champions League final.

Ousmane Dembele scored the only goal as the French champions beat Arsenal in the first leg in north London.

‘It was an amazing atmosphere at the Emirates before Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final first leg against PSG but that changed after four minutes with PSG’s goal,’ Shearer told Betfair.

‘When you go to a hostile ground, where you know the atmosphere is going to be amazing for the home team, you want to keep the ball and, if possible, get an early goal just to kill the crowd. PSG did that.

‘Arsenal never recovered. For the first 20 or 30 minutes, they didn’t know what day it was. Then they recovered and were the better team for ten or 15 minutes before half-time – and they didn’t need half-time.

‘There were two really, really good chances for Arsenal. One in the first-half with Gabriel Martinelli one-on-one and then a one-on-one in the second half involving Leandro Trossard.

‘Other than that, I know they had the disallowed offside goal which took far too long considering he was half a yard offside. The positive was that it only ended 1-0. It could’ve been a lot worse.

‘At 1-0 going into the second leg, Arsenal still have a chance. What was already a difficult opportunity against a very good side has become a little bit more difficult, but it’s not impossible.’

On Arsenal’s approach in the second leg, Shearer added: ‘Arsenal missed Thomas Partey in the first leg against PSG.

‘He’ll be playing next week which means we’ll hopefully see a better Declan Rice because it’s not his best role, sitting and trying to sweep up play as a number six.

‘Rice is better when he’s driving forward and there was one time last night where he was able to drive forward and that was what created the opportunity for Trossard.

‘Arsenal’s pressing has to be better. For the first half-an-hour in the first leg, they didn’t know when to press or sit and it looked really confusing in terms of when and how to go.

‘They didn’t get that right and ended up getting picked off. That can improve massively, but they don’t have to go for it straight away. If it’s still 1-0 at half-time in Paris then that’s fine.

‘Arsenal just have to be a little bit more patient, go with what happens, keep it tight and don’t concede because if they concede the first goal early on then it’ll be pretty much curtains for them.’

Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena will host the 2025 Champions League on May 31.

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Denzel Dumfries scored a superb volley… but Ferdinand was not impressed with the defending.

Owen Hargreaves has predicted the Champions League finalists (Picture: Premier League)

Owen Hargreaves has predicted the Champions League finalists as Arsenal, PSG, Barcelona and Inter Milan prepare for the semi-finals.

Four teams remain …

Arsenal will play PSG in the Champions League semi-final after eliminating Real Madrid this week (Reuters)

Rio Ferdinand believes Arsenal will not reach the Champions League final and has tipped Paris Saint-Germain to win the competition.
…

Arsenal will play PSG in the Champions League semi-final after eliminating Real Madrid this week (Reuters)

Rio Ferdinand believes Arsenal will not reach the Champions League final and has tipped Paris Saint-Germain to win the competition.
…

Rio Ferdinand believes Declan Rice would have rejected Arsenal if Manchester United had offered the same salary.

Rice delivered another impressive performance at the heart of Arsenal’s midfield to help eliminate Real Madrid from the Champions League this week.

The 26-year-old has established himself as one of Arsenal’s key figures under Mikel Arteta, with Ferdinand claiming that the England international should now be considered among the world’s best midfielders.

Rice joined Arsenal in a £105 million deal from West Ham in 2023 but had also attracted strong interest from both United and Chelsea.

And Ferdinand feels that Rice would have opted to join United two years ago if his former club matched Arsenal’s offer.

Speaking about Rice’s performance against Madrid, Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel: ‘The first tie killed it but they [Arsenal] were magnificent, I thought, over two legs.

‘Declan Rice, I think, you know when you look at players and go where was the moment he stood up and said, ‘guys, the top table, I’m at it’. I think this tie says that.

‘Doing against a team of that magnitude, that type of team, that champion.

‘And we [Manchester United] didn’t go and sign him.

‘I think, and I will stand by this, if Man United had come to the table with a chequebook and said, ‘we’ll match what Arsenal pay’, I think Declan Rice would have chose Man United.’

Speaking ahead of Arsenal’s Premier League match against Ipswich Town on Sunday, Arteta believes Rice is now in a ‘different dimension’ following his two performances against Madrid.

‘He’s learning more and more,’ Arteta said.

‘I think performances like he had in this side against Real Madrid actually just puts the player in a different dimension and that’s why we brought him here. That’s why we demand him as well to take more steps and to be more decisive in games because he can do it.

‘We’ve been talking about it for the last few weeks and to be at this stage is not easy. He’s done it two times in a row.

‘Now he’s maintaining that level of consistency, belief and undoubtedly his role will be bigger and bigger.’

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‘Absolute disgrace!’

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand (Picture: TNT Sports)

Rio Ferdinand urged Sir Jim Ratcliffe not to sell Alejandro Garnacho as Manchester United produced a miraculous Europa League victory over Lyon.

United looked set for an embarra…

Arsenal knocked Real Madrid out of the Champions League (Picture: Getty)

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Arsenal booked their place in t…

Madrid couldn’t, could they?

‘I wouldn’t be able to come out of the house.’

‘If he could ask to come off right now, he wouldn’t be far off doing it.’

We’re at the business end of the Champions League.

‘Insane ball knowledge!’

‘I think he would be a great addition.’

‘United f****d that one up.’