Chelsea chief executive Ron Gourlay has told the London Evening Standard he wants Jose Mourinho to "stay 10 years."

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Mourinho returned for a second stint at Stamford Bridge in 2013, signing a four-year contract that ties him to the club until 2017.

Gourlay, though, hopes Mourinho, who guided the Blues to a third-placed Premier League finish last season, will be at the helm even longer.

He said: "Having the security of Jose is great for me -- he knows the club, knows me. Last time he was here, I was chief operating officer and we worked well together.

"Jose can deal with the media in a different way from some of the other managers we've had. He takes the pressure not only away from the players but also from the club. He's very good at that and allows us to manage and me in particular to drive the club forward."

Chelsea have made a fine start to the new season, topping the table after winning their opening four league matches and scoring 15 goals.

Summer signings Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas have played a key role in the team's form, although their arrivals were offset by a number of loans away from the club in the summer.

Twenty-six Chelsea players are currently out on loan, and Gourlay added: "This transfer window we have financed purchases from sales.

"This is definitely the first time. Now Chelsea have to chase the penny and work much harder across the business as a result of financial fair play.

"We've shocked a few people in football because the first team they thought would fail FFP was Chelsea. We're completely in a good shape."