The Turkish media magnate caused a stir last month when he posted a list of 14 potential signings represented only by national flags, each assigned a percentage reflecting how advanced the deal was, a method he has now returned to with an "upgraded version" posted at midnight on Wednesday.
Before that first post, Hull City, who won promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs, had already added Jack Butland, Oscar Zambrano and Matt Targett. Ilicali's latest update confirmed Japan international Hidemasa Morita as a fourth completed deal, while stating that three of the previously teased moves have since fallen through and eight more remain in progress.
Green ticks were placed next to Greek, Norwegian, Senegalese, Australian, Swedish and Jamaican flags, signalling those signings are close to being announced. Hours after the post, at 10am on Wednesday, Hull confirmed the biggest of those deals: Olympiacos goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis, in a club-record move thought to be worth around £20m plus add-ons.
Norwegian midfielder Jens Hjerto Dahl and Senegalese defender Nobel Mendy have both been strongly linked with the club, alongside Australian defender Lucas Herrington, Swedish left-back Elliot Stroud and Jamaica international Leon Bailey, though Ilicali's post offers no guarantee any of those specific names correspond to the flags.
The Hull owner also used the post to reiterate that Hull are working on deals for three French players, plus an Englishman, a Spaniard, a Portuguese player, another Japanese target and players from both Turkey and Germany, while continuing to dismiss what he has previously called "fake" reports, including one linking the club with a bid for Real Madrid forward Carlos Espi.
Ilicali's approach marks a striking contrast to the tight-lipped transfer policy favoured by most Premier League boardrooms, and it has not been without its critics, with some supporters questioning whether flagging deals publicly before they are signed risks alerting rivals or unsettling negotiations.
The owner has defended the strategy as a way of managing fan expectations and cutting through the volume of speculative links that surround a newly promoted club. With the squad still needing considerable strengthening before the deadline, Hull's business over the coming days looks set to be watched as closely on social media as in the transfer pages.