Aston Villa fans have gone into meltdown on Twitter after club owner Tony Xia dropped a clear hint that a new signing has nearly been finalised following a fallow January window to date.
Since taking over at Villa in the summer of 2016, Chinese businessman Xia has regularly kept fans up to date on Twitter about transfers and is renowned for his use of emojis to signal how far down the line a deal is to being done.
On Sunday afternoon, Xia posted on his personal Twitter account an image of two shaking hands alongside a pen and the number 24, appearing to denote that an agreement had been reached.
??2??4??.#UTV
— Dr. Tony Xia (@Dr_TonyXia) January 21, 2018
Villa are yet to sign anyone in the current transfer window although they have been linked to a number of players.
The Mirror has previously reported that the West Midlands club had made enquiries about Leicester pair Leonardo Ulloa and Daniel Amartey, as well as Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe.
Xia’s hint has sent the Villa fans wild with excitement as they suggest the players who might be on their way next to Villa Park.
Many took the number 24 to suggest the deal is 24 hours from completion, while guesses as to the identity of the new arrival veered from pipedreams, such as Lionel Messi, Marco Reus and Henri Mkhitaryan, to the more likely signing of former Holte End hero Christian Benteke, who has had a miserable season at Crystal Palace.
This Is Futbol has rounded up some of the best tweets:
D.O.B is 24th…announce Messi! pic.twitter.com/83IjwCINIf
— Adam Clinton (@AdamClinton9) January 21, 2018
Signing in 24 hours time.
— WF (@WFAPEX) January 21, 2018
https://twitter.com/DanHeald81/status/955062904671408128
Benteke on loan?
— K (@kayach11) January 21, 2018
Announce Marco Silva ?? #UTV
— Zaccyyy (@Zaccyyyy) January 21, 2018
I love you
— LukeMorris (@lukemorris_8) January 21, 2018
Deal agreed, contract signing, on the 24th? 24 hours? 2 permanent, 4 loans? 2 defenders, 4 strikers? 2 hotdogs, 4 balti pies?
— Des (@EvilDes82) January 21, 2018
Announce Ronaldinho
— Adam Clinton (@AdamClinton9) January 21, 2018
https://twitter.com/AshhSlaterr/status/955061990329913345