Chelsea are reportedly unconcerned over Moises Caicedo's future despite the star midfielder's public agent fiasco. The Ecuadorian ace sent social media into overdrive when he announced that he had split from long-time representative Manuel Sierra, and clarified that Ali Barat of Epic Sports is not his agent either.

Stamford Bridge shrugs off agent chaos

According to Chelsea believe there is zero concern about Caicedo's future. The midfielder has a contract until 2031, with the option of extending it for an extra year. Hence, the Blues sit on top of the situation, legally and financially. Caicedo first declared online that he had “appointed people he can trust,” a phrase that immediately triggered speculation about fallouts and betrayal behind the scenes. Within a short time, the line was deleted, reportedly to avoid misinterpretation with the star keen to stress it wasn’t a swipe at Barat or Epic Sports. But the core message remained the same: the midfield powerhouse has taken charge of his own career, and his deal with Sierra’s Football Division Worldwide officially ended on August 14, and he is “not represented” by Ali Barat. 

AdvertisementAFPCR7's former lawyer now in charge of Caicedo

Now, all of Caicedo’s business affairs are being handled by Chris Farnell of IPS Law, a heavyweight legal and sports management firm based in Hale, Greater Manchester. Farnell, a senior partner at the firm, boasts an elite client list and is no stranger to the upper echelons of world football. The respected solicitor famously worked with Cristiano Ronaldo during his first spell at Manchester United, and even features a glowing “thank you” testimonial from the five-time Ballon d’Or winner on the firm’s website. IPS Law also lists Aleksandar Kolarov, a former Manchester City defender, among its high-profile Premier League alumni, along with names like Tyson Fury and Roberto Martinez.   

The published bio reads: "Chris Farnell advises leading Premier League and Football League Clubs, leading sporting and media agents and a number of high-profile sporting individuals on a wide variety of matters. Chris' practice areas include: Sports, Media & Entertainment. He specialises in image rights, third-party ownership issues, player transfers, intellectual property contracts, contract re-negotiations, sponsorship and endorsement contracts, defamation, sports dispute resolution, footballer and agent disputes, doping hearings, regulatory issues, and both contentious and non-contentious intellectual property law."

Neville’s stunning praise on Caicedo

Pundits have been queueing up to shower the Caicedo with praise after his man-of-the-match masterclass in Chelsea’s 2-1 victory over Liverpool before the international break. Gary Neville, never one to hand out compliments lightly, hailed Caicedo as “the best midfielder in the Premier League right now.” Speaking on Sky Sports, the former Manchester United defender said: "He’s everything and a brilliant midfielder. He was the best player on the pitch by a mile, and if Liverpool had him, they would have won; he was that good. You think of [Ryan] Gravenberch last season and Declan Rice, Rodri obviously, but right now I think we can say he’s the best midfielder in the Premier League."  

However, not everyone agrees with Neville’s assessment. Paul Scholes, speaking on with Sky Bet, pushed back, saying he doesn’t yet view Caicedo as the Premier League’s “complete” midfielder. 

“Alexis Mac Allister was brilliant last year,” Scholes said. “He controlled a lot of what Liverpool did, and they’re missing that this year. Bruno Guimaraes is brilliant, and I love Sandro Tonali at Newcastle as well. I was trying to think of a player, Tonali, especially, he can run. He’s been brilliant. I’d probably choose Tonali at this point [as the best midfielder in the Premier League]. Over Declan Rice, yeah. Tonali is better than Rice.” 

Getty Images SportCaicedo's focus remians on the Forest clash

With the agent drama settled and legalities neatly tied up by Farnell, all eyes turn back to the turf. His growing influence represents far more than numbers or stats. He’s become a symbol of Chelsea’s rebuilding project, a player capable of blending flair with steel, youth with authority. He’s yet to miss a single Premier League minute this season and has already added goals to his armoury, three in seven league games so far, including a thunderous strike against Liverpool that underlined his attacking evolution. Caicedo will look to extend his superb run when Chelsea face Nottingham Forest on October 18.