Spanish La Liga giants Atletico Madrid have signed Portuguese winger Gelson Martins on a free transfer.

The 23-year-old has penned a six-year contract with the Rojiblancos after cancelling his contract with Sporting Lisbon FC of Portugal.

He was one of several players who cancelled their Sporting Lisbon contracts this summer in the wake of the attack on players and staff by a group of fans at their training ground due to the team’s failure to qualify for the Champions League.

The Portuguese international winger joined Sporting Lisbon as a teenager in 2010 and went on to play 125 times during his three-year spell with the club’s the first team.

The Cape Verde-born player was strongly linked with Premier League giants Liverpool and Arsenal before he opted for a move to Spain.