Ianis Hagi has been counseled to remain with Rangers and reject any overtures from Serie A side Lazio according to Romanian striking legend Ciprian Marica.
The Biancoceleste have been persistently linked with a move for the skillful attacker who is the son of legendary former Barcelona star Gheorghe.
But Rangers have first option to buy the star for £4.5 million from the Belgian side.
And former Stuttgart and Schalke striker Marica - who won 71 caps for Romania - believes Hagi should stay in Scotland and continue his footballing education with manager Steven Gerrard.
He said: "It would be good for Ianis Hagi to continue to play for Rangers. For him, at this stage of his career, it's more important for him to get games than a move to a top league.
"Lazio are a very good team and I don't think it would do him any good to move to Italy and have to battle for a first team place and not play as often.
"He is still very young and is learning the game. It's best he gets to do that in Scotland with his current coach.
"Ianis Hagi is always going to have the problem of being compared with his father. People are always going to think he can play for Real Madrid and Barcelona like his dad.
"But he is certainly a player with football intelligence. He has reached maturity on the pitch and has the quality to take the last step and complete it. And the best way to do that is to stay and learn with Rangers for now."
