Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are set to be hit with one year transfer bans by FIFA for irregularities in signing youth players, according to widespread reports in Spain.
Respected radio show El Larguero says that both Madrid clubs have committed similar offences to those which have seen Barcelona banned from signing any new players until January 2016.
FIFA only permits international youth transfers when one of the following three situations apply: the player's parents have moved country for their own non-related reasons; the move takes place within the European Union if a player is aged between 16 and 18; or the player's home is less than 50 kilometres from the national border being crossed.
Last year, Barca were found to have made numerous violations of these regulations after a lengthy official investigation by FIFA, with the one-year transfer ban being upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Last January it was reported that both Madrid and Atletico also have many non-EU youngsters on their books.
Atletico are reportedly the club in La Liga with the most non-Spanish players in its cantera -- or youth academy -- with a total of 43 youths from 26 different countries. Madrid also have a number of very young players from Asian countries.
At the time of the January reports, Real released an official statement saying communications with FIFA regarding potential breaches of the regulations had taken place, but there had been "strict adherence to the registration regulations in absolutely every case."
But El Larguero says that FIFA are now set to move against both Madrid clubs, with a decision already made to ban Atletico for two transfer windows, and very likely to ban Madrid for the same period.
AS says Spanish FA chief Angel Maria Villar recently met with FIFA president Sepp Blatter in a bid to appeal for a "general amnesty" for all La Liga clubs in this matter. Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu has called for a similar amnesty in the past, saying "it is clear that there are other clubs involved."
Spanish FA sources have told Marca that they have no knowledge of a firm ban for Madrid, but they expect Atletico to be punished.
Madrid have recently bought a number of very promising young players, with over €50 million having been committed to buying Norwegian starlet Martin Odegaard, Real Mallorca's Spain under-19 playmaker Marco Asensio, Brazil under-21 midfielder Lucas Silva and most recently Porto's Brazil senior team right-back Danilo.
The €30 million-transfer of Danilo cannot be confirmed until the summer, however any punishment imposed by FIFA would likely not come into force until an appeal to CAS was heard.
The latest developments may also make it more likely that Madrid will try and push through a deal to sign long-term target David De Gea of Manchester United. De Gea currently has just over one year left on his contract at Old Trafford, and is regularly linked with a move to the Bernabeu in the local press.
Valencia and Villarreal, who along with Atletico have close links with China's Wanda Group which sends large numbers of youngsters to receive a football education in Spain, are among the other La Liga clubs who could face sanctions.