Six days ago, Oliver Glasner said Nottingham Forest would not panic in the final week of the summer transfer window.

Forest's new head coach had, for some weeks, insisted that just two further signings would arrive; which we now know to be Liam Delap, who has already signed, and Daniel Muñoz, who is poised for a medical.

"[Our plan] stays the same," he previously maintained, "I think we would just be panicking if we start judging the players differently based on one game.

Now, just two days before deadline day, Glasner has revealed a drastic change in strategy, as he admitted as many as three players – not including Delap who has already signed – are likely to arrive before deadline day.

"There could be even more," he revealed on Saturday. "I'm very confident we'll add the right profile and characters." How many? "Definitely one, potentially two and probably three signings."

It represents a significant shift in approach and, whether you support the proposed extra additions or not, is not the sign of a club who are not panicking.

Among the proposed new recruits was Crystal Palace shot-stopper and former Forest loanee Dean Henderson.

Forest have identified a new first-choice goalkeeper as a priority before the window closes, but Palace have ruled out selling the England international.

Realistically, the south London club were never going to part ways with one of their most important players, and club captain, so close to the deadline, especially with Europa League football this season.

This fact casts massive doubts over the timing of Forest's decision to target a new first-choice goalkeeper in the first place.

Earlier this summer, there was interest in current number one Matz Sels from Club Brugge in his native Belgium.

Since then, Brugge pursued other targets – signing Yann Sommer on a free transfer – and Forest triggered a 12-month extension in Sels' contract, prolonging his deal until 2028.

Elsewhere in the market, high-quality options like James Trafford and Konstantinos Tzolakis have been and gone, signing for Premier League rivals. Tzolakis even had a Forest connection, having joined Hull City from the Reds' sister club, Olympiacos.

But Forest did not act until now, days before the transfer window closes, after Sels has endured a troublesome start to the season, with multiple high-profile errors.

Poor timing means that Forest now have very little time to replace a goalkeeper who has now been very publicly put on the  chopping block, with an equally short amount of time to move a goalkeeper on, with three already in Forest's squad.

So late in the window, the vast majority of starting-quality goalkeepers will not be available on the market, as Forest have painfully learned with their failed Henderson pursuit.

Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale are two viable options, but having fallen out of favour at their current clubs – Newcastle United and Southampton respectively – they do not represent an obvious upgrade on Sels.

In short, it feels as though Forest have backed themselves into a corner and, barring a remarkable late turnaround in the coming days, will end the transfer market red-faced, at least in the goalkeeper department.

All is not doom and gloom, however. After signing Delap for a club-record £50 million, Forest are poised to add Muñoz and a midfielder to bolster their ranks, which could take the Reds' summer spending to more than £150 million.

So after an encouraging point at Anfield, in a 1-1 draw with Liverpool, a goalkeeper pursuit, as baffling as it may appear, should not cause concern.

Especially with Sels already at the club. He has made a handful of high-profile errors in the Reds' opening three games this season, but he has also produced some sensational saves.

Joint-winner of the 2024/25 Premier League Golden Glove, the 34-year-old has averaged more than three saves per match in his last two seasons, and is a more than competent option, at least for the short term.