Exclusive: Jamie Vardy, Joe Gomez and Tyrone Mings among Premier League stars to switch agents after takeover
Tuesday 3 March 2020 15:08, UK
Football agency giant Wasserman has strengthened its position as the leading agency for Premier League talent after agreeing a multi-million pound deal to buy rivals Key Sports Management.
Three months of negotiations led to an agreement last Friday and will see Key's 90 clients, including the likes of Jamie Vardy, Joe Gomez and Tyrone Mings, joining the Los Angeles-based global giant.
Staff at both organisations' London offices have been told their jobs are safe while Key Sports' client list, which also includes Nathan Ake, Theo Walcott and Harvey Barnes, are being informed of the takeover.
Wasserman, who represent the likes of Jordan Henderson, Ross Barkley, John Stones and Steven Gerrard, sit alongside Stellar Group on the top table of global football representation.
Casey Wasserman, company chairman and CEO told Sky Sports News: "Key have done an incredible job within the English football market. Their impressive client list is testament to the hard work Steve Denos, Warwick Horton, John Morris and Tom Soden have done and will significantly add to our portfolio.
"The addition of Key to Wasserman's football agency strengthens Wasserman's position in the global industry as the company continues to build out their leading football business."
"We are thrilled to announce the acquisition of Key Sports and we are very excited to join forces with them," Wasserman's chief operating officer Fahri Ecvet told Sky Sports News.
"The business they have built is exemplary, and we look forward to welcoming them to our team. This acquisition is a major step forward our company."
The deal sees further American involvement in European football, following the takeover last summer, of Leon Angel's Base Soccer Agency by US powerhouse Creative Artists Agency (CAA).
Wasserman Media group - or TeamWass as they like to be known - have spread their wings beyond American football over the past decade, with a particular emphasis on becoming market leaders in Premier League football.
This drive to dominate the European market has prompted a steady stream of takeovers, notably that of Mondial Partners in July 2016.
It's expected that Key Sports' staff will gradually leave their Soho headquarters and move to Wasserman's London offices in Aldwych.
