Town boss Paul Lambert says he needs to add at least half-a-dozen players to his squad during January, including two strikers, and says he and owner Marcus Evans have been in constant dialogue.
Leicester left-back Callum Elder is set to become Lambert’s first signing on loan with the first moves of the window not formalised until January 2nd, meaning no new additions will be involved on New Year’s Day.
"They can't play anyway due to registration,” explained the Blues boss. "But we're doing everything we can. I don't think we need one or two, we need at least half a dozen lads in to come and give us a hand.
"We'll try everything we can to get people in. If it happens, absolutely brilliant. If it doesn't, then we have to keep going, and that's the way we look at it.”
Is he confident he’ll get those signings in? "We have to try. We're in a position where we have to do something.
"My view is we need a little bit more up top, which is well documented. We're playing really well football-wise, really good stuff - everybody recognises it, opposition recognises it now.
"If we can just get some little bit of luck at the top end, be a little more potent, a bit more experience, then let's see what happens.”
Asked whether he’s confident of landing a striker - with Middlesbrough’s Rudy Gestede and Daryl Murphy, now at Forest, both understood to be on what’s believed to be a lengthy list of potential targets - he said: "I don't think I just need one, I think I need a couple. I need it all across the top end of the pitch.
"We've got young lads here who are giving it everything commitment-wise. The way they perform, I can't ask for any more. We need a little bit more guile up top, guys that know it. We need strength across that frontline.”
Is Lambert confident owner Evans, who has become more and more involved in the day-to-day running of the club in recent weeks, making more regular appearances at Playford Road, will back him sufficiently? "He's been great that way. As I've said before, he'll ask for my opinion and what I think, I give him it, and then he's the main person.
"But we're in constant dialogue. Prices will be inflated, some will think we can get them, some will be too much. You just have to do what you think is right for the club.”
The Blues manager says Evans is as concerned about the current situation as everybody else at Portman Road.
"No more worried than everybody else,” he said. "It just affects everybody, this whole scenario. But you have to stay with it, I don't think you can buckle or wilt under it, you have to be ready for it.
"The great thing I think we've got is the supporters have been absolutely brilliant. I think they recognise the situation we're in and if we can stick that together and get a few in, then let's see what happens. There's still a hell of a lot of games that you can rescue this.”
Lambert admitted that there have been players who have said they don’t want to come to Town given the current position.
"There's one or two,” he said. "But as soon as I hear that, I don't go back a second time, I let it go. I need people that want to be here, I need people who want to fight and be up for a challenge.
"Everybody that's here is up for a challenge. I don't need people that say they want to have two weeks on it or something like that, we can't afford it.
"There are people who say they want to look at something else - that's not a problem for me, but I'll never come back in for you a second time.”
The Scot would like to see new faces in his side - among them presumably Elder - in his team at Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup on Saturday or in the vital home match against Rotherham the week after.
"I hope so,” he continued. "Fingers crossed we get people in because we need them. I think that's there for everybody to see, we need players in here to help.
"Not just one or two, we need a few in to help. That's my opinion. I think it is recognisable. As I say, the football we play is really good. We need that end product.”