As the January transfer window ticked into its final moments on Monday night, few people expected any last-gasp deals to be done.
In a campaign where teams were more inclined to trim squads and reduce wage bills, goings far exceeded the comings.
And then, almost an hour past the official deadline, a tweet published on the Southampton Twitter feed caused a late stir.
Written in Japanese, the entry could be quickly translated to: 'Are you still awake?'
And thus, amid a mixture of confusion and excitement, the final piece of speculation in the window had come to fruition.