Real Madrid & Atletico Madrid banned from registering new players until summer 2017

This is seismic news!

It’s been confirmed that Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have been banned from signing new players until summer of 2017.

And just as FC Barcelona completed their ban too!

News has been swirling around for some time that the Madrid clubs would be banned for breaching the rules over signing youth team players.

On Thursday, AS have revealed that Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid would today find out their fate, and the punishment is huge.

FIFA have clamped down on the signings of minors in recent years and together with the Spanish Football Federation, have been investigating the case over the past year.

Whether the ban comes into force straight away remains to be seen as both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid could appeal it, as Barcelona did when their sentence was handed down.

In addition, Barcelona continued to sign players during the transfer ban, but were just unable to register them until it was completed. The most high profile signing in this case was Arda Turan from Atletico Madrid.

If Real are slapped with a transfer ban, it could harm a move that has been mooted in recent weeks – of Chelsea’s Eden Hazard to the Bernabeu next summer.

And, where does this leave Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea?

What about Diego Simone’s future? Could he now come to Chelsea?