The Giallorossi coach still considers his forward line incomplete and, after a handful of departures and lingering doubts over other squad members, is waiting on two new additions in attacking midfield. For now the creative burden falls largely on Paulo Dybala and Matías Soulé, while Donyell Malen remains on holiday after the World Cup and Artem Dovbyk still has to fight for his place.
With a move for Mason Greenwood off the table, AS Roma have identified Summerville as the man to strengthen their attack. Sporting director Tony D'Amico is understood to have already reached broad agreement with the Dutch winger over a contract worth €4m net per season plus bonuses.
According to Corriere dello Sport, Malen has also been in contact with his compatriot, offering encouraging feedback about the move and the project at Roma.
The main obstacle remains West Ham United's asking price. Despite their relegation to the Championship, the English club continues to value Summerville at more than €50m. Roma had been ready to invest around €42m, but could raise their offer to €45m-€46m with bonuses to move closer to the Hammers' demands.
A new proposal is expected in the coming days, with the club continuing to assess the operation as it tries to satisfy Gasperini's long-standing request for more quality in the final third.
Roma are also continuing talks over a new contract for captain Lorenzo Pellegrini, with the financial terms close to settled but the length of the deal still to be resolved. Fans showed their support outside the training ground with a banner reading: "Making a mistake can happen... repeating it means carelessness! Let's hold on to Lorenzo!"
The two sides have reached broad agreement on salary, with the new deal set to be worth around €3m per season, Pellegrini having agreed to take a significant pay cut from his previous terms to continue at the club.
The final sticking point is the length of the contract, with Pellegrini pushing for three years while Roma would prefer two, in line with the approach taken in the club's recent renewals for Dybala and Bryan Cristante.