Marseille midfielder Pape Gueye has been handed a four-month playing ban due to a dispute involving Watford.

The Ligue 1 club has also been banned from making transfers for two windows and told to pay the Hornets €2.5million, although they are planning to contest the sanctions, it is understood.

The sanctions were put in place after a contractual dispute involving the midfielder, who had signed a pre-contract agreement to join Watford, which was officially announced in April 2020, with the player expected to arrive in July of that year.

However, the player reneged on his agreement and instead joined Marseille, claiming that there were "irregularities" with the contract and lay the blame at the feet of his former agent.

Gueye's ban has since seen him removed from the Senegal squad, where he was due to play in Friday's 0-0 draw with Guinea in the African Cup of Nations.

A FIFA spokesperson confirmed the player had been banned, but told the Watford Observer they would not comment further, with the matter currently ongoing.

They said: "FIFA can confirm that, among other measures, its Dispute Resolution Chamber has decided to suspend player Pape Gueye in the framework of a contractual dispute. As the matter is currently ongoing in other instances, FIFA is not in a position to further comment on this case at this moment."