Signing videos may be the most irritating trend of the 2017 summer transfer window, but Roma have found a way to get it right.
Everton announced Davy Klaasen with a first-person walk into the club HQ, Chelsea had Antonio Rudiger hide in the cupboard in the club shop and Aston Villa confirmed John Terry via WhatsApp.
Signing videos may be the most irritating trend of the 2017 summer transfer window, but Roma have found a way to get it right.
Everton announced Davy Klaasen with a first-person walk into the club HQ, Chelsea had Antonio Rudiger hide in the cupboard in the club shop and Aston Villa confirmed John Terry via WhatsApp.
The Giallorossi though have taken things to bold – and, let’s face it, bizarre – new levels for their summer signings, with today’s announcement of Patrik Schick no exception.
Here are the best and weirdest efforts churned out by the Giallorossi’s social media this season.
Patrik Schick
The Lupi today completed a €42m deal for Czech striker Patrik Schick, who arrives from Sampdoria on loan with option to buy.
The payments are staggered in an innovative way, with the deal made up of a €5m loan, €9m obligation to buy, €8m bonuses and €20m in 2020, or a 50 per cent sell-on fee, whichever is higher.
You wouldn’t have got any of that information from their video though, which features a singing lion, Katy Perry and a goat playing chess. For some reason.
#Schick #ASRoma pic.twitter.com/JAIvKGYS7P
— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) August 29, 2017
Cengiz Under
We’ve all seen those terrible YouTube compilations which spring up whenever a player is linked to a club.
Always titled “X, welcome to Y! Goals, skills etc etc”, they invariably feature terrible, non-copyright music and an 11-year-old’s attempt at using iMovie.
Roma used a similar format to announce the signing of Turkish winger Cengiz Under, confusing many fans who couldn’t quite understand the pastiche.
Aleksandar Kolarov
Serbian international Kolarov is known as a rather uncompromising character, and he wasn’t keen to join in with the ridiculous antics after signing from Manchester City.
A video which promised helicopters, tornadoes and Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton was met with a curt “no” by the left-back.
Kolarov is a former Lazio player, so announcing his move to their city rivals with such a dramatic and violent video perhaps seemed too close to home…
#ASRoma pic.twitter.com/18yhqHS1CC— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) July 22, 2017
Gregoire Defrel
Ordinarily Roma’s signing videos could be described as unique, but they paid homage to Southampton after signing Gregoire Defrel from Sassuolo.
The Saints had mocked their Premier League rivals with an elaborate clip to announce a contract renewal for backup goalkeeper Stuart Taylor, and the Lupi did their own Italian remake.
Defrel will be hoping to see more playing time than the man who inspired the original video though, 37-year-old Taylor has made 37 league appearances in the last seven seasons and has managed just 75 in his entire career to date.
Lorenzo Pellegrini
The Giallorossi activated a €10m buyback clause to bring local boy Lorenzo Pellegrini back from Sassuolo on June 30.
Having come up through the youth system, the midfielder got his career off to the best possible start by firing a powerful right-footed shot into the far corner – on FIFA.
There’s no word on how many takes it took Lorenzo to get this right, but we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt…
#ASRoma pic.twitter.com/mjgBrwduHV
— AS Roma (@OfficialASRoma) June 30, 2017