Hull City transfer news: Is Sheffield United legend Billy Sharp the signing Acun Ilicali says he has already wrapped up?

The Sheffield United legend and all-time Championship top-scorer was released in the summer at the end of a third spell with his boyhood club. He joined Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy on a short-term contract but his contract was not renewed at the end of the American season, and he is a free agent again.

Sharp is said to have asked Paul Heckingbottom if he could train with his old club to sharpen up for a January move shortly before the manager was sacked. His replacement Chris Wilder said last week he had not at that stage had any such discussions with his former captain.

In an interview with BBC Humberside, the charismatic Turkish owner was tight-lipped about the identity of the Tigers' first signing of the transfer window, which opens in the new year, but there are reports it is the 37-year-old.

Ilicali has invested heavily in the transfer market since buying the club from the Allam family in January 2022, so much so that the club had to be careful not to breach financial fair play spending limits.

Since the signings have become more focused and the coaching better after Liam Rosenior replaced Shota Arveladze in the dugout in November 2022, the progress has been clear on the field and in the Championship table, with Hull in the final play-off place after 22 games.

With a top-six finish his target, Ilicali – who likes to play a hands-on role in recruitment – will do what he can to improve their chances.

"Of course the transfer window is very important and we are very focused to bring two or three (more) players to the club that will make us happy," he said.

"One's already done and unfortunately it's secret but very soon you will learn about him.

"I can say he was one of our targets and we are very happy to get him. We will get two or three more.

"We are dying to get to the play-offs and I hope God lets us.

"I want all the fans to know we are working like crazy with the (recruitment) team, sometimes two or three-hour conversations with our coach and our recruitment team. I'm involved in most of them because I'm the one who's going to pay the money so they have to convince me too.

"I was involved in more than half of the transfers because in order to convince the players, the players always want guarantees of their future and nobody can give them more guarantees than me. I can say in 80 per cent of the transfers I was involved after the decision was made and it came to the players.

"With one of the players it took me almost two months to convince everybody.

"This one can be announced in two days maybe, who knows?

"The club website has to announce him but I'm the guy giving the clues!"

Ilicali, who sees Hull as having the potential to be a "new Leicester City in the Premier League" is delighted with the progress made so far.

"I'm very proud to say we have three players in the national under-21 team," he said. "I see (England under-21) players from Chelsea, Liverpool, Hull City, Hull City, Hull City – what can I want more?

"That means we made a good squad and these players came into the under-21 squad after we signed them, we didn't sign under-21 internationals and put them in our team, our players became international players after they chose us.

"This is very good for us."