The Deputy Prime Minister vowed to stay on as party leader the morning after it was revealed the Lib Dems had lost all but one of its 12 MEPs in May's European election.
But less than 48 hours beforehand, he was calling senior party officials for advice on whether to stay on and lead the party into next year's general election.
A senior party source said Mr Clegg was told to stay, but at least one leading Lib Dem privately admitted he would have supported Business Secretary Vince Cable taking over as leader - but only if the transition had gone smoothly.
The source said a "coronation" of Mr Cable was the only option, as a leadership battle would have led to months of "navel-gazing" in the party.
After the poor local and European election results - which saw the Lib Dems lose 310 local councillors as well its European share of the vote drop behind the Greens - a small number of MPs and party activists called on Mr Clegg to stand down.
If I thought that anything would be really solved, any of our real dilemmas would be addressed by changing leadership, changing strategy, changing approaches, bailing out now, changing direction, then I wouldn't hesitate advocating it
But in a television interview the morning after the European election results were announced, a red-eyed and pale Mr Clegg said: "If I thought that anything would be really solved, any of our real dilemmas would be addressed by changing leadership, changing strategy, changing approaches, bailing out now, changing direction, then I wouldn't hesitate advocating it.
"Absolutely not."
Mr Cable was forced to distance himself from any leadership challenge after former ally Lord Oakeshott commissioned polling in marginal seats which showed the Business Secretary would attract more voters than Mr Clegg.
The Lib Dem peer resigned from the party after the poll results were leaked to the media, and Mr Cable described the actions as "totally inexcusable and unacceptable"
"I have made it very clear repeatedly that he does not speak or act for me," he said, adding: "I [have] made absolutely clear there is no leadership issue as far as I'm concerned."
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