"Come to the Emirates and be loved!" – Piers Morgan begs midfielder to join Arsenal after losing Mykhaylo Mudryk to Chelsea 

British broadcaster and Arsenal fan Piers Morgan has urged West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice to join the Gunners amid interest from Chelsea. The Englishman believes the Hammers' captain would be a useful reinforcement in the ranks at the Emirates.

Arsenal recently lost out on their priority target, Mykhaylo Mudryk, after Chelsea swooped in to sign the Shakhtar Donetsk winger for £89 million. The Gunners have now turned their sights towards Rice, who has been on Chelsea's radar for quite some time.

The England international played for the Blues' youth academy and has been consistently linked with the club in recent times. However, Morgan has implored the midfielder to join Arsenal instead of the Blues. He told talkSPORT:

“If we want to win the league, we’ve got to get serious in this market now and bolster the reserves both in midfield and up front. I love Declan Rice. I’ve had this conversation with him on Twitter where I’ve begged him to come before. I think he’s exactly what we need."

Morgan added:

"I think that when Arsenal have our first XI starting, including Xhaka and Partey, we look really strong, but if one of those two gets injured, I think we need another big midfield enforcer who can also play a role in attack too."

The Englishman went on to say:

“Rice can do everything and he’s got that right mentality, the right attitude, I think he’s very much an Arteta-style player and I think he would fit absolutely perfectly into our squad. So, Declan, come on, I know you’re listening, Declan – come, come to the Emirates! Come and be loved!"

Rice's contract with the Hammers is set to expire in the summer of 2024, though there is an option to extend it. However, The Athletic reports that the West Ham captain has no desire to sign a new deal and has already rejected three contract offers. The midfielder reportedly yearns to win trophies and play Champions League football.

The Gunners have had an extraordinary 2022-23 Premier League season under manager Mikel Arteta. The north London outfit sit atop the league table with a substantial eight-point lead over second-placed Manchester City.

Shakhtar CEO explains why Mykhaylo Mudryk chose Chelsea over Arsenal

Shakhtar CEO Sergei Palkin has opened up about why Chelsea's offer for Mudryk was accepted over Arsenal's. Palkin explained to the Athletic (via GOAL):

"Different time (schedule) of the payments, different kinds of bonuses. Yes, we can talk about bonuses, but these bonuses should be somehow achievable and realistic, let’s say. Therefore, in this case, Chelsea was much more serious and fair in some points."

Prior to his move to Stamford Bridge, Mudryk seemed intent on securing a move to the Emirates. The Ukrainian winger was seen posing with Arsenal shirts and watching the club's matches on Instagram. However, Chelsea beat their London rivals in the race to secure his services.