London-based agency Stellar Group Founder JONATHAN BARNETT's stable already includes some of global soccer's "biggest stars," and now he is "taking on America," according to a profile by Bruce Schoenfeld of ESPN FC. Barnett has already "made a 12-city, 14-day swing through the NFL and picked up his first client." He said, "Give me two or three years, and we'll take on the NBA." Barnett is expanding across the Atlantic "because he sees opportunity," but he is also doing it because several American competitors, notably Wasserman Media Group, have "invaded his turf, amassing rosters of soccer talent that rival Barnett's own." Barnett: "Nobody is surprised when Americans come here. Why can't I go there and take them on a bit? I want to break into America big and have a real go at them." Stellar Group and Wasserman, which also runs its world soccer operations out of London, "rank at the top of the most successful agencies in the sport." But Wasserman Founder & CEO CASEY WASSERMAN said, "We're by far the largest soccer agency in the world." But Barnett counters, "It's not even close." He believes his agency is the "biggest by a long way." Schoenfeld noted what Barnett does "at a higher level than perhaps anyone else in sports, is negotiate major contracts with important clubs." In '13, Barnett engineered MF GARETH BALE's record-breaking US$132M transfer from EPL club Tottenham to La Liga club Real Madrid. Wasserman agents "prefer to remain under the radar," but not Barnett, whose fame "drives his business." Schoenfeld: "He's a star, and that attracts stars." Barnett keeps a "fat binder" in his desk with Stellar's list of clients. Barnett: "I'm prepared to bet 5 million pounds that Wasserman is not bigger than we are. They're small. They really are small compared with us. I'm not being funny" (ESPNFC.us, 6/16).
