Occasionally, a transfer story emerges that simply defies logic and benefits no one involved. One such example is the supposed link between Manchester United and Cristian Romero.

Reports from Argentina on Monday evening suggested that the Red Devils were planning a move for the Tottenham Hotspur captain and were even preparing a formal offer.

Of course, that raised eyebrows.

To begin with, Manchester United are not exactly in dire need of another central defender this summer.

Sure, their defensive unit could be strengthened. Among Harry Maguire, Matthijs De Ligt, Lisandro Martinez, Leny Yoro, and Ayden Heaven, issues of fitness, age, or experience mean Michael Carrick still lacks a dependable partnership to build his team around.

The United manager will be hoping that situation changes in the coming season — that De Ligt regains full fitness quickly, that Martinez can stay injury-free long enough to surpass his average of 16 Premier League starts, that Yoro’s performances match the promise he was signed for, and that Heaven continues his steady rise after encouraging cameos.

Maguire remains Carrick’s most reliable centre-back, but it’s widely expected that he is entering what could be his final campaign at Old Trafford.

Even so, while a new centre-back might still be useful, it should not come at the expense of United’s other pressing needs. Carrick has enough resources to manage for another season with the current options.

And if United were to look for a new defender, they would need someone far more consistent than Romero.

The Spurs captain can be outstanding when both he and his team avoid the lapses in concentration that often undermine his performances. It might be unfair to single him out as the face of Tottenham’s struggles in recent seasons, but he certainly represents them well — assuming, of course, he hasn’t jetted off to Argentina on the day of the team photoshoot.

United already have several defenders who miss too many games. In Romero’s five seasons with Spurs, he has averaged around 16 absences per campaign due to injuries and suspensions.

In the past, a less disciplined Manchester United might have been tempted by Romero’s flashes of brilliance in the Premier League. But lately, the club seems to have rediscovered a sense of pragmatism in the transfer market.

Part of that comes from the ‘no-dickheads’ policy United adopted after years of dressing-room turmoil. Thankfully for Carrick, most of those disruptive influences have since been shown the door, bringing a calmer atmosphere to Old Trafford.

Of course, such a policy can sometimes backfire — every now and then, a difficult personality comes along who might still be worth the risk.

Does Romero fit that description? Not really.

Besides, why would Romero even want to move to United? If Tottenham are indeed looking to move him on, why would he remain in a league where referees already seem to have him marked?

Other than the lucrative Premier League wages, what incentive would he have to stay somewhere his reputation is already tainted? In that sense, links with Atletico Madrid make far more sense.

Perhaps the lack of real interest from Atletico or any other club early in the window prompted the United rumours. It’s quite possible that Romero’s camp floated the story to Argentinian outlets to generate some attention. After all, associating a player with Manchester United is one of the oldest tricks in an agent’s playbook.

Yet, it’s also one of the most overused. There are plenty of other clubs Romero’s representatives could have chosen to create a more believable rumour. Maybe next time they should try Chelsea.