Ralf Rangnick has admitted he has a strong opinion over who should be the next permanent Manchester United manager - but has yet to broach the subject with Old Trafford bosses.
The German tactician was appointed as interim boss in November on the proviso he will take on a consultancy role following his spell in the dugout.
Rangnick is expected to join a braintrust which already includes Football Director John Murtough, Technical Director Darren Fletcher and chief negotiator Matt Judge.
Murtough has already confirmed that United have started a “thorough process” to find a new head coach, who will become the fifth permanent appointment since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.
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It is anticipated that Rangnick will have some say over who will take over from him in the summer, with reports suggesting his preferred candidate is Ajax boss Erik ten Hag.
But speaking ahead of the derby with Manchester City on Sunday, the 63-year-old revealed he has yet to hold talks, although he does have an idea on who he would select.
"So far we haven't at all spoken about that, nobody, not just John Murtough but nobody else, we haven't had that topic in the last weeks and months since I'm here,” Rangnick told Sky Sports.
“I know my opinion [of who should take the job] but so far we haven't spoken about it so this is what I can tell you.
"I don't know him, to start with, as a person. Obviously, I see the development at Ajax since he's been there.
“I know a little bit about his work when he was with Bayern Munich and that he is one of the top coaches in Europe. That's obvious but there are a few other top coaches.”
Rangnick has yet to completely rule himself out of the running, having previously suggested he could recommend himself, should he perform a good enough job during his stint.
"I know what I said, that maybe at one stage at the end I might recommend myself in the role as an advisor," Rangnick explained on Friday at his pre-match press conference.
"It's not the end of the season and we have 11 games left and maybe some more in the Champions League.
"Right now we have enough to do to prepare for Sunday [against Manchester City] and that's where my focus is."
Murtough has stated that the new boss will be tasked with returning United to prominence and helping them compete for trophies, with their silverware drought set to hit five years by the time next season kicks off.
"We know that consistency is key as we strive for a top-four finish this season," Murtough told investors on a call earlier this week.
"I want to reiterate however that this is not the ultimate objective for Manchester United, and everyone at the club is focused on challenging for the top trophies.
"We are now conducting a thorough process for the appointment of a new permanent manager who will take charge this summer, with the objective to get us back to challenging for those domestic and European titles."
