Concern about lack of signings during pre-season has been a recurring theme for the Reds over the past few years with both Billy Davies and Steve McClaren making similar pronouncements during their spells at the club.
Cotterill's need is even more urgent however having patched up his squad with loan signings to keep Forest in the Championship last season. Those loanees are now back with their parent clubs while free agents such as Garath McCleary and Paul Anderson have moved elsewhere.
As talks over a takeover at the City Ground show no sign as yet of coming to a conclusion, Cotterill has made it clear that he has already missed out on potential targets to rectify what he calls an 'unbalanced' squad.
And he may be left to rely once again on the loan market closer to the start of the season, telling the Nottingham Evening Post: "I would not rule out bringing in a few players on a season-long loan basis."