Is Klinsmann the next man for Chelsea or Spurs!!!

Jurgen Klinsmann has signalled his potential availability to Tottenham or Chelsea by declaring that he is prepared to come back to football management.

After guiding Germany to the semi-finals of the World Cup last year, the charismatic former Spurs forward has become one of the most coveted unemployed coaches and he is now willing to leave his base in California for permanent work.

"I'm eager to get back in," he said. "If the right opportunity comes along, a chance to work together with the right people in the right situation and for the right cause, then I'll be back."

The new Chelsea manager Avram Grant faces an anxious wait to see if the Premier League accepts the coaching qualifications he gained in Israel, while Tottenham's Martin Jol has been under constant pressure since club officials were photographed in the same hotel as Sevilla's coach Juande Ramos.

The Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has had to make repeated statements in support of Jol and yesterday denied that he had agreed a compensation package for the remaining two years of the Dutchman's contract.

Tottenham, who face Middlesbrough tonight in the Carling Cup with Jol weighing up whether to recall Jermain Defoe and Gareth Bale after their surprise omissions from the 1-1 draw with Bolton on Sunday, cannot escape the fact that they have badly undermined Jol and an audacious approach to Jose Mourinho last week further highlighted the delicacy of the situation.

Levy's popularity has suffered following the approach for Ramos, but the appointment of Klinsmann would be generally well received."There has been no board meeting, let alone any emergency board meeting, and reports that we have agreed a compensation package with Martin are wholly inaccurate – we have not even discussed the subject and there is no reason to do so," said Levy.

Klinsmann, 43, assumed cult-hero status at White Hart Lane after scoring 30 times in 56 League matches during two spells at the club.

Having also played in Italy, France, Germany and the United States, he is unlikely, however, to be short of offers.As well as Tottenham, Chelsea and David Beckham's Los Angeles Galaxy, he has been linked with the national teams of the United States, Australia, Mexico and Austria.

"It would depend on the club, the environment and it would have to fit with my family," Klinsmann said. "But there's no reason to exclude coaching a club. Wanting to make every player better as an individual as well as within the team was what was special for me. So it doesn't matter if you're coaching a national team or a club."

Aside from spending more time with his family, Klinsmann has kept busy, chronicling his two years' coaching, learning Spanish and staying in touch with coaches around the world. He has also watched a lot of matches on television."I'm in top shape," he added. "I'm ready for the next challenge."