Chelsea striker Demba Ba has admitted that the players are already getting excited by the prospect of working under Jose Mourinho.

The Portuguese has been heavily linked with a return to Stamford Bridge after it was announced that he would be leaving Real Madrid at the end of the season.

Mourinho had been hinting through the season that he was keen on a return to England and with Rafa Benitez having only come in as a caretaker manager, the door was left open for Mourinho's arrival.

The Blues have not confirmed that Mourinho will sign a contract with the club, despite heavy speculation, and Ba has fuelled the fire by saying that the players are looking forward to playing under him.

"You see what he has won, what he has brought to his teams and to his players individually - and of course he is one of the best," he told Sky Sports News.

"He knows everything about Chelsea, having already managed the team for three or four years. He knows everybody here and he knows the club.

"Everybody is thinking about it and everybody is happy. They know that he is a person that wants to win."