The comments came after Roma's 3-0 win over Pisa on Friday, in response to club advisor Claudio Ranieri's claim before kick-off that every signing had been approved by the coach.
Gasperini pushed back on that framing.
"Regarding the transfer market, I let the club choose players that I didn't know about. Of those I specifically requested, only one came this summer."
He was particularly pointed about the failure to strengthen the attack after losing both Alexis Saelemaekers — whose loan from Milan expired — and striker Eldor Shomurodov, who was sent to Basaksehir on loan.
"Then I asked to focus on strikers because we had lost Shomurodov and Saelemaekers. Strengthening the attack was the most important point. I kept insisting that we needed to raise the level on that part of the pitch."
He did not spare the club in explaining the consequences.
"Unfortunately, that didn't happen, which was part of the reason for some of the problems."
Gasperini was careful to stress there was no personal conflict with Ranieri, saying the two shared the same view on what was needed. The public disagreement, he suggested, was more about different readings of the same situation than any genuine rift.
The arrival of Malen in January changed things significantly. The Dutchman has scored ten league goals in twelve games since joining on loan.
"The Malen deal was a stroke of luck, something that was completed in 24 hours."
Roma sit sixth in Serie A, level on points with Juventus and one behind fourth-placed Como. Next Saturday they face Gasperini's former club Atalanta — the team he left last summer to take charge at the Olimpico.
The lucky signing is doing the work the planned ones did not.