"I expect him to be a crucial figure" – Stan Collymore believes Graham Potter has found a 'trusted ally' in Chelsea dressing room 

Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore has stated that Chelsea manager Graham Potter has identified Ben Chilwell as a crucial cog in his dressing room.

Chilwell, 26, has emerged as a fine performer for Potter's side over the past couple of weeks. Since recovering from a hamstring injury, he has reclaimed his left-back spot from summer arrival Marc Cucurella.

An offensive-minded wing-back, the 17-cap England international has scored one goal and laid out two assists in his team's last three games across all competitions. Prior to his recent performances, he had registered just three goal contributions in 18 appearances this campaign.

In his column for Caught Offside, Collymore shared his thoughts on Potter and his recent wins for Chelsea. He also pointed out how Chilwell has grown close to the former Brighton & Hove Albion boss. He wrote:

"I'm delighted that Chelsea's last couple of results have gone in Graham Potter's favour – he deserves some success after how hard things have been. Judging by how close they look, it seems Ben Chilwell has emerged as one of Potter's most trusted allies in the dressing room."

Claiming Chilwell to be influential for the Blues, Collymore added:

"I think Chilwell is a good enough professional to be able to command a certain level of respect from the experienced players in the squad, the new arrivals and the youngsters, so I expect him to be a crucial figure in Potter's tenure at Stamford Bridge."

Highlighting Chilwell and Potter's relationship, Collymore continued:

"The way they embrace each other after a good result and performance tells me that they have a really strong relationship too, and that is vital to a manager who is trying to build a competitive squad."

Chilwell is next set to be in action for Chelsea in their Premier League home clash against Everton on Saturday (March 18).

Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell pops up on Premier League champions' radar: Reports

According to The Athletic, Manchester City has expressed interest in luring Ben Chilwell away from Chelsea in the upcoming summer transfer window. With Joao Cancelo expected to turn his loan deal at Bayern Munich into a permanent one in the future, the Cityzens are desperate to add an experienced left-back to their star-studded ranks.

The Blues are said to be open to entering negotiations for the former Leicester City star if City comes up with a lucrative transfer fee. Moreover, Potter's outfit has Marc Cucurella and Lewis Hall as backup options.

Chilwell, who has a contract until June 2025 at Stamford Bridge, has scored nine goals and contributed 12 assists in 76 matches for the Blues.