Arsenal finally confirmed the signing of Brazilian centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes from Lille via a reveal video met by over-the-top excitement from fans on social media.
These things used to be simple. Your club’s latest recruit would turn up at the stadium in an ill-fitting suit, pose with the club shirt and do a few keepy uppies in the centre circle.
Those days are long gone. In one of social media’s most entertaining trends, teams are in a never-ending cycle of one-upmanship to find new and elaborate ways to reveal transfer deals.
When done right, they can be cinematic masterpieces Christopher Nolan would be proud of. When done wrong, they can be more cringeworthy than your aunt’s TikTok account.
So which side of the track does the Gabriel announcement fall on? Let’s compare it with a few of the best and worst to find out.
Gabriel to Arsenal
It started with a teaser revealing the Gunners’ Brazilian duo of David Luiz and summer signing Willian would be joined on a Zoom call by a mystery compatriot at 4pm.
You didn’t have to be a genius to work out the hidden Samba star would be Gabriel. The video certainly got people talking though.
A shout out has to go to the acting skills of Luiz and Willian, who genuinely managed to keep the suspense going until Arsenal’s new signing eventually appeared clothed from head to toe in club merchandise.
Verdict: In a world where every club is doing reveal videos, finding an original way to do it deserves credit. Hit.
Jesus Navas to Sevilla
Is this an announcement video or a trailer for one of the Taken movies? We can’t really tell.
Jesus Navas is kidnapped by Sevilla in what looks like a Crimewatch re-enactment. His abductors take him to Estadio Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan, where he removes the bin bag from his head and appears delighted to be there.
Surely if he wanted to join the Europa League champions, though, the traumatic ordeal was unnecessary in the first place!
Verdict: We can see how you might like this because of how bizarre it is but it doesn’t make any sense! Miss.
Stuart Taylor to Southampton
Comedy and football clubs are two things that often don’t sit well together.
But Southampton managed to pull it off when they announced the one-year contract extension of third-choice goalkeeper Stuart Taylor via a hilarious video poking fun at the entire trend.
After an all-action build-up that could have been straight from a Fast And Furious movie, Taylor is revealed calmly sipping a cup of tea enjoying the South Coast sunshine.
Verdict: It’s so funny, what’s not to like? Hit.
Aleksandar Kolarov to Roma
Roma have a fine record with these things. Check out their post for the unveiling of Patrick Schick. Their effort for the signing of Aleksandar Kolarov is probably their best though.
Continuing the meta tradition of critiquing transfer video announcements from within, one of the club’s media team sits for more than a minute explaining an elaborate video announcement plan to the Serbian left-back, which is presumably making fun of the Navas video.
Eventually Kolarov can’t take it any more. With the stern-faced menace of a Bond villain, he says “no”, before storming off.
Verdict: Kolarov’s unimpressed look throughout is brilliant. One of the best out there. Hit.
Antonio Rudiger to Chelsea
Chelsea are one of the richest clubs in the world so it’s fair to assume their media team has a pretty big budget too.
With that in mind, their announcement video for centre-back Antonio Rudiger was a bit meh…
A father takes his son to the club shop to buy a new Blues shirt but the boy wants Rudiger’s name on the back. Luckily enough, the German international happens to be in the back ready to reveal his signature.
Verdict: The terrible acting is too cringe. Miss.
Paul Pogba to Manchester United
This is what transfer video announcements are supposed to look like!
If you can forgive the slightly cringe dance moves from Pogba himself, this reveal for what was the most expensive transfer in football history at the time ticks every box.
Adding Manchester United fan Stormzy is an added masterstroke. It could easily be from a music video.
Verdict: It’s not the funniest or the most entertaining but it just works. Hit.
Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United
When you see what the Man U media team is clearly capable of with the Pogba announcement, you have to wonder how they managed to get it so wrong with another marquee signing.
Getting Alexis Sanchez from rivals Arsenal should have been a big deal. So why announce it with a low-key video featuring the Chilean playing Glory Man United on the piano with the ability of a child?
It was a sign of things to come in what has turned out to be one of the worst signings in the Red Devils’ history.
Verdict: Possibly one of the worst ever videos – befitting a terrible transfer. Miss.
Come to Besiktas!
Professional footballers are incredible at what they do. But if this video teaches us anything, it’s best not to ask them to do any more than that.
Ricardo Quaresma starts by demonstrating acting skills that would struggle to get him in a school nativity before handing over to Pepe, who yells the immortal line “come to Bestiktas” down the phone to an equally uncharismatic Alvaro Negredo.
Despite all this, it somehow works. The low-budget cinematography, cartoon graphics and banging dubstep soundtrack all unite to make something amazing.
Verdict: It’s definitely one for the ‘so bad it’s good’ category. If you don’t laugh at this, there’s something wrong with you. Hit.
Arthur to Barcelona
This is one is simply weird.
The announcement of Brazilian midfielder Arthur Melo is carried out by Barca Ball – a football that despite being from Catalonia speaks with an aristocratic English accent.
It’s a bit of an eyesore and will make you question whether someone slipped something dodgy in your tea.
Verdict: 100% the wrong side of the interesting/weird divide. The video reflects Barca’s transfer business in recent years. Strange! Miss.
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