“We wish Harry the very best. It has been a real pleasure working with him,” reads a statement from Modest! Management principals Richard Griffiths and Harry Magee, “Harry is a total gentleman, and we know our good friend Jeffrey Azoff will look after him. We look forward to sharing some great wine with them next time we are in L.A.”

The statement is in response to a query from this reporter. It was prompted by a story posted Thursday (1/28) in U.K. tabloid The Sun bearing the headline, “Gone Direction: Harry Styles sacks company that made him a global star,” and subheaded, “1D heart-throb dumps management team—and recruits top U.S. agent.”

HITS music-biz insider I.B. Bad hinted at the possibility of a Styles-Azoff connection in his column of 7/17, writing that the 1D heartthrob was “said to be looking for U.S. representation to help guide his solo career. Will Harry throw in his lot with a high-profile American manager?”

On 9/29, this site posted an item headlined “Are 1D’s Members Defecting From Longtime Manager?” It read in part, “Much of the speculation has centered on Styles’ friendship with CAA agent Jeffrey Azoff; the two are frequently seen around L.A. together.

Some insiders say Jeffrey Azoff may stay at CAA, where’s he’s become a key part of their youth movement, while also repping his first management client in conjunction with dad Irving.

While there’s been no official announcement from the Azoff camp, the company is typically mum about new management signings. Such was the case last year, when Azoff the Elder started representing Gwen Stefani and Jon Bon Jovi.

Still unclear are Sony and SYCO’s continued involvement with Styles; some sources say his recording career is free of any further obligations.