Dimitar Berbatov's agent claims Manchester United have enquired about the Tottenham striker - but Martin Jol would "rather die than sell him".Sir Alex Ferguson is keen to recruit a new forward before the transfer window shuts as Wayne Rooney faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a foot injury.
The United boss has been linked with unsettled Bolton hitman Nicolas Anelka - but it appears he has instead reignited his interest in Bulgarian star Berbatov having targeted him earlier this summer.
The Spurs striker's agent Emil Dantchev said: "Tottenham's board confirmed that Manchester United made an enquiry as to Berbatov's availability.
"We told them our position, they told us theirs. In the end, we agreed that the board would decide within the next few days and let us know.
"It's obviously a very appealing possibility, but Dimitar has a contract with Tottenham and he needs Spurs' approval to negotiate.
"I cannot comment on the stuff in the English papers. The truth of it is that there is an enquiry, but everything else is speculation.
"It's clear though that Tottenham really want to keep Berbatov," he told Bulgarian website Gong.bg.
Jol, whose troops face United at Old Trafford on Sunday, is desperate to keep his talismanic forward, and said: "Berbatov loves me. If he is playing well he gets all the praise and if he is not doing well I have to tell him.
"I had one approach and I said 'I'd rather die than sell him'."
