LONDON: English singer Harry Styles of One Direction has split from the band’s management team, Modest Management, to sign with Creative Artists Agency (CAA)’s Jeffrey Azoff for a solo career.

“We wish Harry the very best. It has been a real pleasure working with him,” Modest execs Richard Griffiths and Harry Magee said in a statement to Billboard on February 1, reports aceshowbiz.com.

“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 LA.”

Styles’ new team is preparing to launch his solo career early next year. Back in December 2015, he registered four songs Already home, Coco, Endlessly and 5378 miles to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). The tracks were co-written with Snow Patrol’s guitarist John McDaid and songwriter Gary Go.

There’s still a debate whether One Direction’s hiatus is permanent or temporary. Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson decided not to renew their contract after wrapping their tour in October 2015.

Meanwhile, Zayn Malik has already left the group first and is in the middle of promoting his solo career.