CAA Stellar
. UK
€2bn

Key Facts

Also known as: Stellar Group (1992-2019) • ICM Stellar (2019-2020)
Founded: 1992 by Jonathan Barnett & David Manasseh
Headquarters: Ground Floor, 61-63 Brook Street, London W1K 4HS, United Kingdom
Players: ≈ 900 active clients (about 340 in top-tier leagues)
FIFA/FA registration:
• Jonathan Barnett – IMS000781 (FA)
• Frank Trimboli – IMS000046 / T142 (FA)
Languages: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, German
Regions covered: Europe, North & South America, Africa, Asia-Pacific


About

CAA Stellar is the football arm of Creative Artists Agency, created when CAA acquired the Stellar Group in 2020. With offices on five continents, the firm focuses on elite-level men’s football while running dedicated verticals for women’s football, coaches and front-office staff. Its “total-management” model blends in-house data analytics, commercial, legal and post-career teams, allowing the agency to represent more than 60 senior internationals at recent World Cups and continental tournaments.


Key People

  • Executive Chairman: David Manasseh

  • Co-Heads of Football: Frank Trimboli & Leon Angel

  • CAA Sports Co-Head (board liaison): Michael Levine

  • Licensed agents (sample):

    • Jonathan Barnett (IMS000781)

    • Frank Trimboli (IMS000046)

    • David Lockwood, Joshua Barnett, Patrick McCabe


Client Roster

Top players (current)

  • Jack Grealish (Manchester City)

  • Ben Chilwell (Chelsea)

  • Jordan Pickford (Everton)

  • Unai Simón (Athletic Club)

  • Ivan Toney (Brentford)

Rising talents / U23

  • Yéremy Pino (22, Villarreal)

  • Tobias Slotsager (19, Hellas Verona)

  • João Conceição (20, Benfica U23)

Notable former clients

  • Gareth Bale (ret. 2023)

  • Saúl Ñíguez, Luke Shaw, Ruben Loftus-Cheek

Coaches/Staff represented

  • Several current Premier-League and EFL coaches (names not publicly disclosed)


Notable Deals

  • 2013 – Gareth Bale: Tottenham → Real Madrid, €100 m, six-year contract (world-record fee)

  • 2021 – Jack Grealish: Aston Villa → Manchester City, £100 m, six-year deal (British record)

  • 2020 – Ben Chilwell: Leicester → Chelsea, £50 m, five-year deal

  • 2023 – Jordan Pickford: four-and-a-half-year renewal with Everton to 2027

  • 2024 – Ivan Toney signs with CAA Stellar ahead of an expected £80 m move

  • 2025 – Patrick Agyemang: Charlotte FC → EFL Championship (undisclosed, seven-figure fee)


Services

  • Contract negotiation & transfer brokerage

  • Image rights, sponsorship & brand building

  • PR / social-media strategy

  • Legal, tax & wealth-planning referrals

  • Performance analytics & video scouting

  • Well-being, mental-health and post-career programmes

Partner Network

  • Long-standing ties with EPL, La Liga & MLS clubs; feeder academies in Scandinavia & West Africa; specialist lawyers (UK & Spain); performance labs; global marketing partners


Track Record (last three seasons: 2022-23 → 2024-25)

  • Total transfers completed: ~ 275

  • Deals ≥ €10 m: 22

  • Clients in top-5 leagues 2024-25: 341

  • Senior national-team clients: 60+

  • Renewal/extension deals: 100+ (including Pickford, Chilwell, Simón)


Approach & Philosophy

CAA Stellar emphasises early-age scouting, extensive data analysis and a “family-style” support network. Negotiations are typically aggressive on headline salary but balanced by performance-bonus structures. Regional experts handle local relationships while central analytics staff benchmark fee/value models, mirroring U.S.-style representation practices.


Fees & Transparency

  • Standard commission: 5-10 % of gross salary, plus success fees on transfers above €10 m

  • Dual representation accepted but subject to separate mandates under FIFA 2023 rules

  • Image-rights revenue channelled through dedicated SPVs; routine expenses above £250 require prior client approval


Compliance & Reputation

  • Disciplinary actions: Yes – Barnett received a five-month FA suspension in 2006 (illegal tapping).

  • Litigation: 2025 U.S. civil suit alleges human-trafficking & sexual assault by Jonathan Barnett; he denies wrongdoing, case pending The GuardianTalksport

  • Media sentiment: Mixed; traditionally positive for deal-making prowess, but recent coverage negative due to the lawsuit.

  • Awards/recognition: Forbes #1 Sports Agent (2019) The Guardian