Real Madrid punishment could spell the end of any hope Manchester United have of landing Bale or Ronaldo

Real Madrid have been hit with a two-window transfer ban.

Zinedine Zidane will not be permitted to sign any players in the summer or in the following winter window after they, along with Madrid rivals Atletico, were issued with the same embargo that banned Barcelona from any signatures. FIFA sanctioned the punishment for both clubs over 'irregularities in the signing of minors' - the same offence their Catalan counterparts were guilty of. Both Real and Atletico are still permitted to shop all they like this January but, with the ban commencing in the summer, their business of bringing more galacticos to the Spanish capital will stall. It means that they'd be less likely to part with the most expensive players in the world, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo, whose links with Manchester United intensify every day. If Real can't bring in any of their own players, they wouldn't get rid of their best players. It could also have repercussions on the David De Gea deal which failed on deadline day in the summer but was expected to go ahead again at the end of this current campaign. One option of course is to appeal the ban like Barcelona did when they eventually brought in Luis Suarez. An appeal would give them the summer window to get all their business done before the ban is enforced again anyway. So, either way, it could be an interesting summer. *Update, both Madrid clubs have since indicated that they would appeal against the sanctions with Atletico branding them as "absolutely unacceptable."