Barnett, the world's most powerful sports agent

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Jonathan Barnett (January 28, 1950) is, according to Forbes magazine, the most powerful sports agent in the world. In Spain, he is practically only known in his role as a fierce defender of Gareth Bale, for whom he has had to face publicly on several occasions with both the press and Zinedine Zidane himself, but the truth is that he hides much more. Passionate, tireless worker and with a touch of ironic British humor, Barnett, who also has Saúl Ñíguez and Maxi Gómez in his client portfolio, has found the key to unseat other titans in the sector.

Its secret formula to prevail in the global sports scene is none other than diversification. Diversification by country, yes, but also diversification in different sports disciplines. Barnett, who started with cricket star Brian Lara, has the networks of his agency, Stellar Group, cast over hundreds of soccer, athletics, boxing, rugby and NFL professionals, and has even made a first foray into e-sports.

“David Manasseh and I started in London working from a kitchen table and without money. We took the first steps with cricket, where we were lucky to take care of some players like Lara, Akram or Younis, but this is how we started. We have always been traveling and we have been very lucky in our lives, ”he acknowledges now about a company he founded 26 years ago.

Gareth was only 16 years old when he told me he wanted to play for Real Madrid

Jonathan Barnett

However, even the fact that he turned 70 in early 2020 does not seem to have subtracted a single iota of ferocity from his character. Aggressive in the professional but generous in the personal, he admitted in an interview with this newspaper that every year he donates with his partner hundreds of thousands of euros to charitable causes. In the world of sports, however, he is known as a hard and unforgiving negotiator, even capable of giving a pulse to Florentino Pérez himself, whom, by the way, he values ​​and respects. Despite the fact that its biggest transfer remains that of Bale's 101 million euros in 2013, according to its latest results, the 1,114 million euros that it has signed in its contracts have generated 114.8 million euros of profit for the company .

“Gareth was only 16 years old when he told me he wanted to play for Real Madrid. Realizing his dream has been very exciting… even for an agent as tough as me! ”, He explained himself in The Telegraph shortly after the transfer of the Welsh player to the Bernabéu became a reality. “It has been intense, stressful and exhausting, and it is true that at times the negotiation has been anything but cordial. There were times when I thought that Real Madrid would get frustrated and would try to find other goals, but I tried to keep bad thoughts away from me. With my hand on my heart I can say that I always thought that the agreement could come to fruition, and I am very happy to be able to reward the trust that Gareth and his family placed in me ”.

Seeing the close relationship between agent and player, it's easier to understand Barnett's fierce defenses every time he feels the Welshman is being looked down on or attacked. Whether from the press, the stands or even from the bench, since the agent has not shaken his pulse when facing the Madrid fans and even a living legend like Zinedine Zidane. Gareth, no matter what happens, will always be your crown jewel.


Barnett and Bale at the Barajas airport.


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Barnett and Bale at the Barajas airport.

“Some journalists, and quite a few of them live in Spain, are not very good at their work, they do not study enough and they write for the love of art. I don't really know why, but the level is quite low. They want to write things that are not true and they don't bother to verify them ”, he criticizes harshly in Sport Witness. “Nothing a journalist can write has an effect on Gareth. The lies and the fake news they don't bother you. It is quite simple, you just have to read what they write and then what he has achieved on the field of play, then each one chooses what they want to believe. ”

That protective cloak that Barnett unfolds not only professionally but also personally fits perfectly with Saúl Ñíguez, a player who also does not shake his pulse when it comes to showing his character in public and on the field of play. In fact, and unlike other agents like Mino Raiola, Barnett is not characterized by pressuring his players to change their destination in search of better contracts and great commissions for his agency, but the British seems to prioritize the stability of his own. This can be seen, for example, in that although Saúl has recently been associated with teams such as Manchester United or Bayern Munich, he prefers to send conservative messages.


Saúl in the act of his renewal until 2026.


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Saúl in the act of his renewal until 2026.

“Someone like Saúl does not need anyone to pressure him. He is so good and everyone is so aware of it that it is known that many teams love him, but the truth is that he is already in a great club. He has a very good relationship with Atlético de Madrid and with his fans ”, he assures. “Every good player is always related to the most important teams. Some officers may be tempted to do that, but if they need the press to do something then it is that they are not very good at it. It's about journalists trying to write things. It may or may not be true, but it is something that we as an agency do not want to be involved in. “

The Spaniard is sure to become the jewel of his agency once Bale definitely takes a back seat, but the work of recruiting talents that the Stellar Group has carried out suggests that Barnett will be involved in very important transfers in the near future. .

In England, where he has made a significant commitment to young talent with names such as Mason Mount or Ben Chilwell, the agent has recently assured that he expects the Premier to continue making a significant investment despite the economic impact of the pandemic. “If a club has the necessary economy to carry out a transfer, it will carry it out. Of course, clubs, like any company, have to be carried out in the ideal way, and nobody forces them to make big signings ”.