Monaco are serious about signing Atletico's Gelson Martins

Gelson Martins will be allowed to leave Atletico Madrid in January and all the pieces are in place for him to join Monaco in the coming days, with the French club serious about signing the Cape Verdean winger.

Atletico Madrid's official line is that the former Sporting CP star missed Thursday's training session due to muscle discomfort, however it's believed he's very close to signing for the Ligue 1 side.

Thierry Henry hopes to rejuvenate his squad as they battle against relegation and Gelson is seen as one of the players who will bolster the quality in the team.

Los Colchoneros have been working hard to secure the signing of Alvaro Morata from Chelsea, a player whom Diego Simeone admires, as they search for a striker to play alongside Antoine Griezmann, given Diego Costa's dip in form and subsequent injury.

In order for Morata to arrive, however, the Europa League holders urgently need to make room in their wage bill, which is estimated to stand at around 293 million euros for the 2018/19 season.

This is where the urgency to sell Gelson comes from, although he almost certainly won't be the only player to depart in the winter transfer window, especially after the incredible recruitment drive the club underwent in the summer.

Morata is desperate for a fresh start after his move to Stamford Bridge never worked out in the way he hoped it would and as a result he is willing to lower his wage demands, although they remain significant even after such a gesture.

At Chelsea, he is paid a net salary of nine million euros per season, a figure that Atleti can't come close to, even if both Gelson and Nikola Kalinic are sold.