Joan Jordan 'punished' for breaking Rangers transfer silence as Sevilla face furious slapdown from Spanish FA

Defiant Joan Jordan has reportedly been "punished" by Sevilla for speaking out amid links with Rangers.

However, the move by the La Liga side could be set to backfire with reports suggesting the Spanish FA could be about to step in to the spat between the player and club. The two-time Europa League winner has been told he is surplus to requirements by Sevilla boss Garcia Pimienta and sports director Victor Orta - but is reportedly unwilling to give up his salary with his contract running until 2027.

He is said to have cut his holiday short to return to training early in a bid to reclaim a place in the first-team plans for the new campaign - but was left out of the squad entirely for the first pre-season friendly of the campaign against the Orlando Pirates. Estadio Deportivo now claim that the move was a "punishment" for the 30-year-old after he appeared to double down on his exit stance on social media.

Following reports that the Scottish Premiership outfit has seen a loan offer to pick up 30 per cent of his wages turned down by Sevilla, Jordan shared an Instagram story of himself with the caption "stronger than ever". Following the post, the Spanish side are said to be applying "pressure" to force the experienced midfielder out of the door.

Mundo Deportivo report that both LaLiga and the Spanish Footballers' Association (AFE) are "closely monitoring" the situation - which could be in breach of league rules. It is claimed that a reminder over the rules will be sent to the club over the "complex" situation.

The rules advise “to remember the provisions of its ‘Circular 7/2022 – Footballers secluded / as’, remembering that at this time of the season, some clubs remove players from the activity of a squad, committing