Thomas Tuchel would have no concerns about Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's attitude but has refused to discuss the possibility of working with the Barcelona striker again at Chelsea.
The Blues have been linked with a move for Aubameyang after Tuchel acknowledged on Friday they "could use" new signings both in attack and defence.
Tuchel offered a firm "no comment" when asked about interest in either Aubameyang or Leicester City centre-back Wesley Fofana, but was willing to reflect on his work with the Barca front man while at Borussia Dortmund.
Aubameyang scored 56 Bundesliga goals in 63 games under Tuchel at BVB. Indeed, for no coach in the top five leagues has Aubameyang scored more goals, registered more goal contributions (63) or netted at a faster rate (94 minutes per goal).
Tuchel still enjoys a close bond with the reported Chelsea target, telling a news conference ahead of Sunday's game against Tottenham: "I enjoyed a lot working with him. It was a pleasure.
"This has nothing to do with the situation now, but some players stay your players, because you were very, very close. Auba was one of these players.
"We had a very close relationship. Always when we played him here with Arsenal, there was always straight away this close bond. They stay your players, in a way, and Auba is one of these guys."
Mikel Arteta did not enjoy quite the same relationship with Aubameyang at Arsenal, with their fallout – which resulted in his January move to Barca – documented in Amazon's recent All or Nothing documentary series.
But Tuchel, quizzed on Aubameyang's "toxic influence", said: "I experienced none of this.
"This has nothing to do with the situation at Arsenal, which I also will not comment about out of respect, because it's not on me to comment. I don't know what happened.
"In Dortmund, there was never an issue."
And Tuchel is not concerned by others' opinions on Aubameyang, adding: "I don't follow the press about Auba. Don't be offended, but I don't follow the press so much.
"I don't know if he has a bad press or a good press – I could not care less. It's not important."
For now, Tuchel's focus is on Sunday's game against Spurs, and he is determined not to be distracted by possible transfer activity.
"We will not panic, and we will not try to sign players of which we are not 100 per cent convinced," he explained. "Our signings so far are fantastic signings and help us.
"To be very honest, it's a day-by-day business now to coach the team which is here and not to lose your head as a coach too much about what could be.
"What sense does it make if I lose my head now in the office and think about the team with players who are not here?
"We are ambitious, and we work hard to maybe strengthen our squad further, but at the same time we are calm, and all the energy and the ambition goes into the group that is here. We have still time."
Brighton 0-4 Manchester City: Foden at the double as champions leapfrog Liverpool
Phil Foden scored twice as Manchester City leapfrogged Liverpool and kept the Premier League title race in their own hands by thrashing Brighton 4-0.
Foden moved onto 16 league goals for the season with a first-half brace at the Amex Stadium, seeing a free-kick deflect past a wrongfooted Jason Steele before stroking home after some reckless play from the Seagulls.
De Bruyne had earlier given City the lead with what was his 68th Premier League goal but the first with his head, as Pep Guardiola's men made light of Erling Haaland's injury-enforced absence.
Julian Alvarez added a fourth as City pulled two points clear of Liverpool and within one of Arsenal with a game in hand, knowing five further wins will guarantee they retain their crown.
Brighton, meanwhile, stay in the bottom half with 44 points, having been surpassed by Bournemouth on Wednesday.
Nathan Ake could not keep his shot down when presented with the first half-chance after a low-key start, but City went ahead with a brilliant goal after 17 minutes.
Foden slipped Kyle Walker in on the right flank, and De Bruyne watched the full-back's cross all the way before sending a wonderful diving header into the top-right corner.
There was more fortune about City's second, which arrived just nine minutes later as Foden's free-kick deflected in off Pascal Gross amid Brighton complaints about how Foden won the set-piece.
Brighton only had themselves to blame when Foden got his second after 34 minutes, though. Valentin Barco conceded possession cheaply on the edge of his area, and Foden swept the loose ball into the bottom-left corner.
Ederson denied Joao Pedro as Brighton improved in the second half, but City had further daylight just after the hour mark, Walker breaking in behind and beating Steele to a loose ball, with Alvarez on hand to turn home.
Brighton were enraged when Josko Gvardiol avoided conceding a penalty for a clumsy challenge on Pedro, who skewed wide late on as City – who went close to a fifth through Jeremy Doku late on and face struggling Nottingham Forest next – claimed a statement win.
Foden's star still rising
Foden has emerged as the favourite to be crowned Premier League Player of the Season, and he has gone up a gear in the run-in, also scoring a hat-trick on his last league appearance when City thrashed Aston Villa 4-1 earlier this month.
He was in imperious form again on Thursday, even if Brighton's fans were not happy with the way he went down for the free-kick that ultimately resulted in his first goal.
That strike was Foden's 50th in the Premier League, making him just the third player to score 50 top-flight goals under Guardiola while aged 23 or younger, after Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland.
It is no wonder Brighton's fans are sick of the sight of the England man; he has eight goals in his last eight Premier League appearances against the Seagulls, more than he has scored against any other club in the competition.
Seagulls' wings clipped
Hampered by injuries to the likes of Pervis Estupinan, Kaoru Mitoma and Evan Ferguson, Brighton have seen their European hopes falter in recent weeks and now appear to be limping to the finishing line.
Roberto De Zerbi's team are winless in their last five Premier League games (two draws, three defeats) and sit six points adrift of the top seven with matches against Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Chelsea and Manchester United to come.
Brighton have even seen their supply of goals dry up, scoring just four times in eight league matches since thrashing Sheffield United 5-0 in February.
Foden matches Messi and Haaland feat with 50th league goal under Guardiola
Phil Foden equalled the feats of Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland when he scored his 50th league goal as Manchester City stormed into a 3-0 lead against Brighton.
Foden scored twice in the first half at the Amex Stadium on Thursday, setting Pep Guardiola's team on the way to a potentially pivotal win in the Premier League title race.
The England international's first, which came after Kevin De Bruyne's excellent diving header, came as his free-kick deflected in off the unfortunate Pascal Gross.
It was that goal that marked Foden's 50th in league football, with all of those coming under Guardiola.
That makes Foden just the third player to score 50 league goals under Guardiola while aged 23 or younger, after City team-mate Haaland and Barcelona great Messi.
Foden netted his 51st Premier League goal soon after, drilling in after City capitalised on some slack Brighton play.
Borussia Dortmund gearing up for crucial clashes against RB Leipzig and PSG
Borussia Dortmund are bracing for their two most important matches of the season.
Saturday's game at RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga is followed by a Champions League semi-final first leg at home to Paris-Saint Germain on May 1.
With the league title already wrapped up by runaway leaders Bayer Leverkusen, attention has shifted to the battle to qualify for the European competitions next season.
Dortmund's unexpected success in Europe has thrilled fans but the team's future in the continent's top club competition beyond this term could rest a lot on the result against Leipzig.
BVB are in fifth place on 57 points with Leipzig fourth on 59 and four games left in the campaign. The top four teams qualify for the Champions League group stage, although Germany is likely to earn a fifth spot as one of the top two in UEFA's coefficient table depending on the remaining results in European competition this season.
A Dortmund defeat against Leipzig would see them drift five points behind their rivals with three games remaining, so Edin Terzic's side are aiming to keep hot on their rivals' heels.
"It is a very important, decisive game against Leipzig," said Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck.
"They are our direct rivals and it is a big difference for us finishing fourth or fifth.
"We lost against them earlier in the season and now we want to win this. It is the fight for fourth place."
Dortmund conceded a last-gasp equaliser in last week's 1-1 draw against Leverkusen but have won five of their last seven league games, including a 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich.
"It is extremely important for us to keep trying with 100 per cent to get that fourth place," said goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
"We cannot sit back and relax until we have achieved that. We must maintain focus and step on the gas."
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