Chelsea tried to nab former Spurs hero Klinsmann from Bayern Munich

In the end the Stamford Bridge hierarchy concluded it would be impossible to poach the former Tottenham striker and Germany manager from Munich - but not before seeing if there were any clauses in his agreement they could exploit.

It leaves Chelsea searching elsewhere but last night another potential successor to Avram Grant joined the list as Inter Milan sacked Roberto Mancini.

Scroll down for more

Staying in Munich: Chelsea could not prise Klinsmann away from Bayern

His agent Giorgio De Giorgis said it was the club's decision, adding that Mancini had: "No intention to go."

This leaves the way clear for Jose Mourinho to return to football and Chelsea, should they wish to, to approach the now out-of-work Italian.

But should Mourinho join Inter it would add to Chelsea fears that he would look to lure Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba away from Stamford Bridge.

While Mancini does have the necessary credentials after leading Inter to a third successive Serie A title, the race remains wide open.

The shortlist might be coming down and at this moment Luiz Felipe Scolari and Mark Hughes are said to be under 'strong consideration'.

But it is still too early to dismiss Guus Hiddink, Frank Rijkaard, Roy Keane, Marcello Lippi, Sven Goran Eriksson, Didier Deschamps and even Dick Advocaat.

Grant, meanwhile, has denied using a lawyer - and in particular Anthony Julius - to thrash out the terms of his severance agreement with Chelsea.

"I am not suing Chelsea," he said. "It's all nonsense and a fabrication. My relations with Chelsea are good and therefore I have no need for a lawyer and can talk directly to them myself and not through a lawyer.

"Anthony Julius has been a good friend of mine for many years. We have a good friendship which is not in any way connected to Chelsea.

"Five million pounds is not even close to the amount of compensation I will receive. But I've got no problem if somebody wants to volunteer to make up the difference. The relationship between Roman Abramovich and me is a matter for the two of us and nobody else's business."

Speaking in Israel, where he has been on his UEFA Pro Licence course, Grant reflected with pride on his time at Chelsea.

"In the last three months in which I was manager people no longer called the team Boring Chelsea," he said. "If we had played at the start of the season the way we did in those last months we would have won the championship.

"I was told by the club that I had come in as part of building the future and my position was not dependent on achievements. Nobody expected we would win anything, because I was given the club when we were fifth in the league and had drawn at home to Rosenborg in the Champions League.

"Nobody believed that we could even finish second or reach the Champions League Final in Moscow.

"But the target I set myself was to at least reach the Champions League Final because a team that invests so much money should at least reach the final."

Chelsea assistant manager Henk ten Cate insists he does not fear for his job despite Grant's sacking.

Ten Cate, who left his job as Ajax boss to become assistant at Stamford Bridge last October, has reacted to reports that he could follow the Israeli out of the door.

The Dutchman said: "Half an hour before Chelsea officially announced the Grant news, I was called by Peter Kenyon.

"He told me the news and he also said that the sacking of Grant would have no consequences for me. I would rather believe him than the newspapers reports."

Ten Cate plans to speak to Chelsea chiefs later this week and said: "It's up to the club if they find that I did a good job during the past eight months."