Atletico Madrid unable to register Axel Witsel due to salary issues

Atletico Madrid are reportedly unable to register Axel Witsel as a new player due to exceeding their salary limit by €100m (£86m).

The club's president Enrique Cerezo recently appeared to confirm the signing of Witsel on a free transfer following his release by Borussia Dortmund.

'We already have a midfielder. It's Witsel who, as you all know, is practically a done deal and we're still looking for a full-back,' he told reporters.

However, it now seems that the transfer cannot be officially ratified, as things stand, thanks to Atletico's issues with their wage bill, as reported by El Partidazo via Marca.

It appears that the Spanish giants will have to offload some players in order to balance the books, and it has been claimed that they are ready to show Antoine Griezmann the exit door for the second time.

The French international spent five years at Atletico between 2014 and 2019, and rejoined Diego Simeone's side last summer from Barcelona on an initial loan deal.

The club have the option to sign him permanently in 2023, but they now look to be prepared to cut his time at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium short due to his eye-watering salary, which is believed to be around £345,000-a-week.

Atletico want to move Griezmann on, but it is understood that even this may not be enough to allow Witsel to be registered.

The 11-time La Liga champions could also lose two more high-profile players this summer, which could help get their finances in order.

Luis Suarez is destined to depart the club when his contract expires on Thursday, and the veteran striker is reportedly close to joining Argentine side River Plate.

Meanwhile, Joao Felix has also been linked with a move away after failing to live up to expectations in recent seasons, although the Portuguese forward has insisted that he wants to stay at Atletico to prove his worth.