Championship relegation rivals of Huddersfield Town, Rotherham United and Hull City hit with transfer embargo

Cardiff City have confirmed that they have been placed under a transfer embargo relating to a dispute over the £15m transfer fee for the purchase of Emiliano Sala.

The Welsh club signed the Argentine striker from French club Nantes in January 2019. He died in a plane crash over the English channel while travelling from France to join up with Cardiff.

The January transfer window opens on New Year’s Day but chairman Mehmet Dalman insists he is "confident" the embargo will be lifted with the club in talks with the Football League and FIFA regarding the issue.

"I wish I had the power to lift the shadow of this situation from the club. People at this club want this resolved," Dalman told BBC Radio Wales Sport.

A general view of Cardiff City Stadium. (Photo by Huw Fairclough/Getty Images)

"People should not forget that a 29-year old man was killed when he there was no need for that accident to happen. There is a human side to this story, it is not just a financial one."

Cardiff were ordered by FIFA to pay the first instalment of £5.3m from Sala's £15m transfer fee to Nantes but appealed that decision. The Court of Arbitration for Sport heard the appeal in Lausanne earlier this year but upheld the decision from the sport’s governing body.

Cardiff have not paid the instalment as it stands and have appealed the CAS ruling to a Swiss Federal Court, with a verdict expected in the coming months. Dalman says Cardiff’s refusal to pay the £5.3m to Nantes means an embargo has been placed on the club.

"There are lots of legal discussions going on and they will continue to go on, but we have received our first invoice from Nantes," Dalman said.

"We haven't paid it and at this stage have no intention of paying it, until certain negotiations come to fruition. This puts the EFL in a position where they automatically put us under transfer embargo, but until January that is pretty meaningless anyway.

"Until January I am sure there will be other developments. We are working hard to ensure we can do business then."

Cardiff are level on points with both Rotherham United and Hull City in the Championship table while they are seven points ahead of bottom-side Huddersfield Town. They also face Leeds United in the FA Cup third round next month.