Gasperini seeks new striker for Roma as Vlahovic surfaces as potential target

Marash Kumbulla is set to leave Roma after returning from his loan spell at Maiorca. Rayo Vallecano, Levante and Elche have all made enquiries about the Albanian centre-back's availability, according to market specialist Matteo Moretto. Roma are actively managing squad departures as the summer transfer window progresses, with Kumbulla among a group of surplus players at the club's training ground. Gasperini has made clear he does not intend to offer Kumbulla a fresh opportunity at Roma, paving the way for an exit. The 25-year-old, who previously played for Verona, appears likely to continue his career in Spain's La Liga rather than remain in Serie A. Roma are simultaneously pursuing incomings, with Summerville among the priority targets as the club balances sales and acquisitions ahead of the new season.

Roma are pursuing Summerville to fill the most glaring weakness in Gian Piero Gasperini's tactical system. The club has identified a right-footed attacking winger—capable of playing as a trequartista or winger on the left—as the top priority for the new season, with sporting director D'Amico now working alongside Gasperini to address the gap. The void has persisted for seasons. Throughout August, the club sought a loan deal for a right-footed attacking option without success, pursuing targets including Fabio Silva (who remained at his club with one year remaining on his contract) and Jadon Sancho via videoconference. January brought only unsuccessful temporary deals for Bryan Zaragoza and Lorenzo Venturino, alongside the unproven centre-forward gamble of Robinio Vaz, signed for €25 million. Summerville's arrival would finally remedy what has been an obvious deficiency in Roma's attacking setup under Gasperini.

Lorenzo Pellegrini is set to sign a new contract with AS Roma within the coming days, with head coach Gian Piero Gasperini awaiting the midfielder's signature. The outline terms have been agreed and only final administrative details remain before completion. The new deal will run until June 2028 and carry an annual salary of €2.5 million. It will also include an automatic renewal option to extend the agreement through to 2029, following the same stability framework Roma previously applied in Gianluca Mancini's renewal. The extension moves will definitively end speculation over Pellegrini's future and remove any possibility of his departure from the club.

Artem Dovbyk has begun the 2026–27 season at Roma following a lengthy injury layoff that sidelined him from February onwards. The Ukrainian striker was among the squad members who reported for pre-season training at Trigoria, where he appeared in a friendly against the Primavera and scored twice, with a third goal ruled out for a marginal offside decision. Although he was booed by some supporters reflecting his difficult two seasons at the club, Dovbyk now has an opportunity to rehabilitate his Roma career under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini. Dovbyk arrived in summer 2024 from Girona for a total fee of around €36 million, making him one of the most expensive signings in Roma's history. His first season yielded a respectable 17 goals across all competitions in 45 appearances, but the 2025–26 campaign proved far more disappointing, yielding only three Serie A goals in 14 appearances and one assist in European competition before his injury. At 189 cm tall, Dovbyk possesses a distinctly different physical profile from primary striker Donyell Malen and could operate as a relief option or even alongside the Dutch forward in certain tactical moments. His substantial wages make a departure difficult to arrange, but if he remains, Gasperini can deploy him as a reserve to provide cover and potentially relieve pressure on the player.

Rome's radio stations hosted debate on Roma's tactical setup and transfer situation, with prominent voices offering contrasting assessments of the club's prospects. Piero Torri praised the potential attacking combination of Summerville on the left, Dybala on the right, and Malen centrally, saying: "Summerville to the left, Dybala to the right and Malen in the centre: with this trio you should never lift the ball, but otherwise I'm starting to feel a certain pleasure very similar to orgasm. I like the idea they could play together. Dybala and Malen in the few matches they played together seemed made for each other. Now Summerville would be added too, who already knows Malen well. To me it seems a nice trio." However, Roberto Pruzzo took a sceptical stance, arguing the club should shift its focus elsewhere. He stated: "I would have already moved on. He's a good player, but he's not one who makes the difference: the money makes it, not the player. I would have already turned in another direction. The Greenwood situation struck me in a certain way. I hope Roma is in a position to put valid and above all motivated alternatives: it's not possible that Roma becomes a bargaining chip. At the moment Roma has two players fewer." Nando Orsi questioned the squad's composition, suggesting Koné may be sacrificed and discussing goalkeeper alternatives, while Lorenzo Pes highlighted defensive concerns with Angeliño ahead of Wales fixtures.

Crysencio Summerville is poised to join Roma from West Ham, and the timing carries symbolic weight — the Dutch winger was born on 30 October 2001, the exact day Daniele De Rossi made his debut for the Giallorossi in a Champions League match against Anderlecht. Summerville also shares his birthday with Diego Armando Maradona. The 24-year-old left-winger, who cost West Ham €30 million, has been sidelined by a thigh injury that kept him out for the second half of last season, during which West Ham were relegated. He scored 21 goals in a single Championship season at Leeds, winning the division's Player of the Year award in 2023–24, and contributed seven goals across the Premier League and FA Cup during his first campaign with the Hammers. Summerville's arrival addresses a pressing need in Gasperin's squad. A right-footed left winger, he excels at dribbling past defenders and cutting infield to shoot near post or curl shots towards the far corner. He scored twice and provided two assists during the Netherlands' World Cup campaign in America, and contested the 2023 Under-21 Euros with fellow Roma signing Devyne Rensch, earning three caps together. Notably, Summerville faced Donyell Malen — now also at Roma — only once in the Premier League when Aston Villa beat West Ham 3–2 on 14 December 2025, a month before Malen's move to the capital. Having progressed through Feyenoord's academy, Summerville won the 2018 Under-17 Euros in England, scoring in the penalty-shootout final victory over Italy.