Jose Mourinho is very likely take over the reins at Chelsea come the end of the season, according to former Blues favorite Ruud Gullit.

There has been much talk about Mourinho returning to the club where he enjoyed so much success, especially with his job at Real Madrid looking unsteady.

Mourinho is expected to leave Real at the end of the season, after his relationship with some of the Spanish players soured considerably over the course of the season, while the Portuguese is reportedly not exactly on great talking terms with the president Florentino Perez either.

The Chelsea faithful have been crying out for Mourinho to return, as interim manager Rafa Benitez continues to feel the fan's wrath.

There were suggestions that a deal had already been agreed with Roman Abramovich, with a close friend of Mourinho claiming so, while the Real boss has made it clear he would love to return to manage in the English Premier League.

Now former Chelsea player and manager Gullit believes it is just a matter of time before Mourinho returns to Stamford Bridge.

"Rafa Benitez's main objective this season is to qualify for the Champions League and then to make way for Jose Mourinho," he told talkSPORT. "I have a gut feeling that Mourinho will come back to Chelsea.

"I had a feeling already before the (Champions League) final that Mourinho was maybe coming to Chelsea.

"From the moment Chelsea won it (the Champions League) I think Mourinho said no because it's not a coincidence that he signed his contract just after, and therefore my instinct says he will be appointed.

"Chelsea want him for next season. That is my feeling, if it's right I don't know. I have no proof of that and I said it already before the (Champions League) final.

"That's my feeling and therefore it also took a while for Chelsea to find somebody new because they wanted somebody else, but who wants to go to a team that has just won the Champions League?"

Gullit said he is not surprised at the reaction from the fans over the appointment of Benitez, who was a wildly unpopular figure with the Blues faithful during the Spaniard's time with Liverpool.

"He (Benitez) would have known that before (that he would be unpopular) but he wanted the job anyway so you have to deal with it.

"It's not an easy job, especially after winning the Champions League with Roberto. I still feel for Roberto, I still think it's unfair."