Ralf Rangnick has played down suggestions Thomas Tuchel could become Manchester United 's next manager – because of the uncertainty at Chelsea.
Tuchel played under Rangnick at German club Ulm and also worked under United's interim boss at Stuttgart as youth team coach in his first coaching role.
He has gone on to manage European giants Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, leading the Blues to their second Champions League title last season.
Tuchel's eye-catching stint at Stamford Bridge has earned him many admirers, among whom are the United hierarchy as they search for their next permanent manager.
However, Rangnick said his links with his former colleague, combined with the sanctioning of owner Roman Abramovich, did not make the Chelsea coach a candidate for the Old Trafford job.
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"It doesn’t make sense at all to even think or speculate about that," said Rangnick on Friday.
"Yes, Thomas Tuchel is a top manager, yes, I know him well, yes he was a player of mine in Ulm, yes, he took his first job as a football coach in Stuttgart when I was the head coach.
"We all know that, but he's the manager of Chelsea right now, they're third, they're still in the Champions League.
"Only because there are issues now around the ownership of this club, to speculate about maybe him being a candidate for the manager's job here in the summer, it doesn't make sense to do that."
The ownership "issues" Rangnick referred to relate to Chelsea supremo Abramovich, who was attempting to sell the club before he was added to the United Kingdom's sanctioned individuals list.
The oligarch has well-established links with Russian president Vladimir Putin, who is facing near-worldwide backlash for his invasion of Ukraine.
As a result of Abramovich's sanctioning, Chelsea are prevented from selling merchandise, selling tickets, buying players or extending existing contracts.
While there is mass uncertainty surrounding the club's immediate future, Tuchel insisted he is "happy" in West London as he reaffirmed his dedication on Thursdsay.
He told BBC Sport : "I am still happy to be here and still happy to be manager of a strong team. I know there is a lot of noise around."
Tuchel added: "I don't have another answer for you. Well, relief would mean that we’re struggling with all the information and news out there, it's quite a big change from yesterday to today but yeah we can't influence it, we didn't cause the situation.
"In the moment it seems that business, let's say football-wise is more or less protected, but let's see."
