Joe Cole Contract Talks Underway At Chelsea

By Jonny Esthero

Chelsea's recently appointed chief executive Ron Gourlay has revealed that the club have started contract talks with recently returned Joe Cole.

The England midfielder is out of contract in the summer, and after his sparkling return to Premier League action after nine months on the sidelines, the West London outfit are keen to secure his services for the foreseeable future.

"Joe's looking to negotiate his new contract for the next four to five years," Gourlay said, as quoted by the Press Association.

"That process has started and Joe has made it very, very clear he wants to stay with the football club.

"I am sure that over the coming months we will be able to work something out."

Gourlay sees holding onto Cole as part of a bigger project at the club.

"We entered into a 10 year plan, we've set our goals very high," he added.

"I would like to see us keep playing the exciting football we are doing - I know that's close to the owner's heart - and we've got to win things."

He added: "We are expected to be in the mix in every competition we enter. That's how we have positioned ourselves as a football club and that's how we are portrayed.