One of the most recognisable names in the world of football transfers, Jonathan Barnett has helped broker some of the biggest deals over the past few decades.
He founded the Stellar Group talent agency in 1992, the same year that the face of English football was changed forever with the launch of the Premier League. The competition lagged behind the likes of Italy’s Serie A at the time, but it quickly grew to become the most powerful in Europe and one of the richest sporting competitions in the world.
It created major opportunities for Barnett, who was born and raised in London, to build up an impressive list of clients and steer some blockbuster transfers. His profile and influence outside of the UK grew in the 2010s, when he represented Gareth Bale, the Welshman, who moved to Real Madrid.
The first of the super-agents?
Barnett might be viewed as the first of the super-agents. His domination of Premier League transfers grew to such an extent that he became one of the most significant off-field figures in English football.
He regularly defended and championed brokers’ business, despite fierce criticism from the media and the wider public. The perception that money was pouring out of the game and going to agents was a sore point for many, but Barnett was always quick to stick up for his profession.
Jonathan Barnett (Camavinga’s agent): “Does he want to stay at Real Madrid all his life? Sure.” pic.twitter.com/bVmE01Xdt4
— Madrid Universal (@MadridUniversal) November 7, 2023
His viewpoint centred on the need for players to have strong representation in order to protect them from the self-serving interests of clubs. He was known as a tough negotiator who resolutely defended his clients and always sought to get the best deal for them.
In many respects, Barnett laid the groundwork for the likes of Jorge Mendes and Pini Zahavi, who have since become major players in the world of football transfers.
Bale’s world-record move
The most defining transfer that Barnett was involved in was Gareth Bale’s switch from Tottenham to Real Madrid in 2013 for a then world-record fee of £85.3m.
The move took a long time to complete, with Barnett needing to deal with two fierce negotiators in the shape of Daniel Levy and Florentino Pérez. However, it was finally confirmed on the first day of September. The Welshman moved to the Santiago Bernabéu, where he teamed up with Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to form a star-studded front three.
His relationship with Bale was a good example of the loyalty he showed to his clients, who clearly valued his services. Barnett represented the “Roadrunner”
from his very early days as a youth-team player at Southampton, to the final chapter of his career in Los Angeles.
🏴🌪️ Gareth Bale vs Inter… he was 21-years-old here. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/skxm8ZURM5
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) October 7, 2025
While the Welshman preferred to do his talking on the pitch, Barnett frequently gave interviews about his client, particularly during his years in Madrid. Like any public figure, he was occasionally the source of media speculation and criticism. A public falling out between him and club coach, Zinedine Zidane, was one such instance during Bale’s nine-year stay in the Spanish capital.
A stellar list of clients
While he did later venture overseas and take on clients like Eduardo Camavinga and Saúl Ñíguez, Barnett’s main focus was always the British market. Over the past 25 years, England national team squads have rarely been named without at least one of his players involved.
The likes of Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Mason Mount, Jordan Pickford and Jack Grealish are among the long list of current and former British players to have been represented by the Stellar Group.
Unquestionably the most dominant English football broker of his era, Forbes named him the world’s top sports agent in 2019, when he negotiated more than £1bn worth of contracts and transfer fees.
Barnett’s legacy
In 2020, the Stellar Group talent organisation was sold to American entertainment’s ICM Partners, which was later bought by the Creative Artists Agency.
CAA Stellar today ranks as one of the largest groups representing players, with an estimated 900 clients including the likes of Omar Marmoush, Fermín López, Morgan Gibbs-White and Liam Delap.
Barnett is no longer involved. He retired from his Football Agency in 2024. His lasting legacy may ultimately be defined by his influence on the game over the past few decades, which cannot be denied.
🇪🇸Yéremy Pino confirmed as a new Crystal Palace player. He has signed a 5 year contract after his €30m transfer from Villarreal.
💼 Deal done by CAA Stellar Spain agent Santi Serra (middle) also pictured CAA Stellar CEO Joshua Barnett (right)
📸 CAA Stellar Spain pic.twitter.com/arre0mwNGU
— Agents FC (@AgentsFC) August 30, 2025
He may have plenty of critics, and many football fans in the UK will remember Barnett as one of the symbols of an era that saw the sport lose its soul and become dominated by financial interests.
To his clients and the agents that have followed in his footsteps, he was admired for his aggressive negotiation style, astute business instincts and willingness to always speak his mind.
