Lugano was recently interested in 26-year-old German-Italian midfielder Stefano Russo from Arminia Bielefeld, but the German club requested a transfer fee of approximately two million euros. Lugano was unwilling to pay this amount. Consequently, the transfer is no longer expected to happen, and Lugano's squad is considered equipped for the season. Russo joined Arminia Bielefeld in July 2024 and has a contract until June 2028. Transfermarkt estimates his current market value to be €1.20m, and he has been capped once for the Germany U19 team.