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| Emiliano striker died in a plane crash in the English Channel on January 21, two days after Cardiff had announced him as their record signing “subject to international clearance” |
Cardiff will tell FIFA that Emiliano Salaโs move from Nantes was invalid when the club responds to a complaint over their refusal to pay the Ligue 1 outfit his ยฃ15million transfer fee.
The 28-year-old Argentinian striker died in a plane crash in the English Channel on January 21, two days after the Premier League club had announced him as their record signing โsubject to international clearanceโ.
But Press Association Sport understands that Cardiff will tell footballโs world governing body that Sala was not eligible to play in the Premier League at the time of his death and was free to join another club had he so wished.
FIFA has given Cardiff until April 3 to respond after Nantes lodged a complaint with them over the Welsh clubโs refusal to pay the first ยฃ5m instalment of the Sala transfer fee.
It is understood Salaโs Cardiff contract was rejected by the Premier League because it contravened signing-on fee rules.
Sala died before a revised one could be signed and there is a dispute about whether he had agreed to do so before his death.
Cardiff will also tell FIFA that the non-fulfilment of legally-binding clauses in the transfer agreement they struck with Nantes for the player made the deal invalid.
Without these clauses being fulfilled, Cardiff will argue that Sala was perfectly entitled to join another club with more than a week of the January transfer market remaining.
Cardiff had nothing to do with the plane on which Sala and pilot David Ibbotson were killed, saying the player had been offered a commercial flight to travel from France to Wales.
A Cardiff spokesperson said: โThe club is aware of the FIFA request for response by April 3 and is processing that accordingly, we have nothing further to comment on it at this stage.โ
Nantesโ lawyers first wrote to Cardiff on February 5 asking for the first of three annual payments to be paid within 10 working days.
The deadline was extended but, with no payment received, Nantes carried out their threat on February 27 to take the matter to FIFAโs Dispute Resolution Chamber.
A club spokesperson was quoted in the Daily Telegraph as saying: โFC Nantes has completed all the required paperwork to complete the Emiliano Sala transfer.
โThus, FIFA registered the International Transfer Certificate on 21st January 2019 at 5.30pm. Nantes is fully compliant with FIFA rules.
โAs for Emiliano Salaโs registration in the Premier League, FC Nantes has no information about it.
โAnd if it could be a problem for Cardiff, it is not a problem for Nantes.โ
