The baffling Chelsea comments from Aston Villa star that will no doubt annoy supporters

Gift horse, mouth, meet Leon Bailey. It may be the case that the Jamaican is enjoying a stellar campaign for Aston Villa, and that Villa themselves are on course to finish in a Champions League qualification spot come May, but still the winger can't help wondering about what comes next.

Despite having only signed a new contract in the Midlands last month, Bailey has been chatting about his future plans, and has admitted - during an appearance on the fittingly-titled 'Let's Be Honest' podcast - that he would be sorely tempted by the prospect of a move to the likes of Arsenal or Chelsea. Perhaps he should also be sorely tempted to check a league table.

When asked if he could see himself joining compatriot Dujuan Richards at Stamford Bridge any time soon, the 26-year-old said: “You have big teams in England, they call themselves the big six. The Arsenals and the Chelseas. It has always been my dream to play in the Premier League and I am right now.

“Who wouldn’t want to go to a massive team? Especially coming out of Jamaica, do you know how big that is for the country? Especially being who I am as well. It would shine more light and that has been my focus whenever overseas. It is to use my platform to be able to shine light on the country and the young talents. It’s difficult for us Jamaicans to even dream about making it to Europe. I don’t know how to answer that question but I’d just have to see in the moment.”

And while, to a certain extent, you have to admire Bailey's candour, there is no getting around the fact that from the perspective of his current employers, this is a galling thing to hear. Imagine handing somebody the opportunity to fulfil their 'dream', paying their wages and handing them a deal until 2027, only to stumble across a clip in which they openly admit that they would consider joining a club seven places and 17 points behind you in the table, purely for the sake of reputation and clout. Not nice.

Of course, downturns are temporary, and there is every chance that in a year or two things could have clicked into place for Chelsea and they might be back amongst the upper echelons of the Premier League. But at the present moment in time, you would have to argue that Villa have just as much chance of sticking around the continental conversation as the Blues do of mounting any kind of resurgence.

In truth, Bailey probably meant nothing by his comments; he was asked a question and he has answered it frankly. It is not as if this calls into question his commitment to Villa's cause in the here and now, or his desire to stay at the club for the time being.

But the reality is that it is not a great look. It won't be long before Bailey's confession vanishes into the ether of memory, swept under the carpet by the 24/7 rolling news war machine. Over the next couple of days, however, it may well rankle a fair few folks around Villa Park. As for Chelsea, the last thing Todd Boehly needs is anymore ideas...