Real Madrid have said reports alleging they and fellow La Liga club Atletico Madrid are set to be hit with one-year transfer bans by FIFA for irregularities in signing youth players by calling are "absolutely false."
Radio show El Larguero claimed on Tuesday night 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 breached numerous violations of these regulations after a lengthy official investigation by FIFA, with the one-year transfer ban being upheld by Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Last January, it was reported that both Madrid and Atletico also have many non-EU youngsters on their books.
El Larguero says that FIFA will regardless 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.
When similar reports first surfaced last January the Bernabeu club 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."
Madrid reacted quickly to the most recent stories with a new statement which strongly denied the latest stories, and said the club had always followed all the FIFA regulations when signing players.
"The reports are absolutely false, as born witness to by the Spanish Federation itself having denied to different media outlets that Real Madrid is involved in any irregularity in the signing of underage players," the statement said.
"Real Madrid reiterates that it has always complied scrupulously with FIFA's rules, as was detailed in the statement of January 26. Real Madrid again regrets the publication of these reports, some of which are ill-intentioned, whose only objective is to involve the club in supposed infractions which in no case have been committed. Madrid reiterates once again its total commitment to the defense, protection and proper and healthy development of minors and, in consequence, reaffirms its total support for the content and strict following of FIFA's rules in this area."
Madrid have been recently buying up a number of very promising young players, with over €60 million having been committed to signing Norwegian starlet Martin Odegaard, Real Mallorca's Spain U19s playmaker Marco Asensio, Brazil U21 midfielder Lucas Silva and most recently Porto's Brazil senior team right-back Danilo.
The latest developments also appeared to make it more likely that Madrid will try and push through a deal to sign long-term target David De Gea of Manchester United.
However, Madrid's statement also said that the linking of any recent or future transfer business with any supposed punishment from FIFA was erroneous.
Atletico are reportedly the side in La Liga with most non-Spanish players in its "cantera" -- or youth academy -- with a total of 43 youngsters from 26 different countries.
Madrid also have a number of very young players from Asian countries, including Takuhiro Nakai, an 11-year-old Japanese who recently starred in a youth team derbi victory over Atletico.
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.
Valencia and Villarreal, who along with Atletico have close links with China's Wanda Group which see large numbers of youngster receive a football education in Spain, are among the other La Liga clubs who could face sanctions.