Cardiff City footballer Emiliano Sala is one of two people on board a plane that went missing overnight on Monday.

The light aircraft plane, travelling from Nantes in western France to Cardiff, disappeared from radar over the Channel around 8pm on Monday night. The French civil aviation authority later confirmed Sala was aboard.

Rescue teams were scrambled to waters north of Guernsey after the Piper Malibu plane carrying two passengers vanished. Searches of the area resumed on Tuesday morning, with authorities saying the missing plane had yet to be found.

"So far over 1,000 square miles have been searched by a total of five aircraft and two lifeboats," Guernsey Police said. "There has been no trace of the aircraft. The search is continuing."

“We are very concerned by the latest news that a light aircraft lost contact over the Channel last night,” an earlier statement from Cardiff chairman Mehmet Dalman read. “We are awaiting confirmation before we can say anything further. We are very concerned for the safety of Emiliano Sala.”

Emiliano Sala: Career in pictures Show all 12 1 /12 Emiliano Sala: Career in pictures Emiliano Sala: Career in pictures Emiliano Sala Cardiff City striker Emiliano Sala is missing and feared dead after an aeroplane carrying him and one other person went missing over the English Channel AFP/Getty Emiliano Sala: Career in pictures Emiliano Sala He first moved to France in 2011 before joining Bordeaux and making his debut in 2012 Getty Emiliano Sala: Career in pictures Emiliano Sala Sala arrived at Bordeaux after playing for Club Proyecto Crecer in Argentina Getty Emiliano Sala: Career in pictures Emiliano Sala In Ligue 1, Sala found himself going up against some of the best-known defenders such as PSG’s David Luiz Getty Emiliano Sala: Career in pictures Emiliano Sala He would join Caen on loan in 2015 Getty Emiliano Sala: Career in pictures Emiliano Sala While with Bordeaux, Sala also spent time on loan with US Orleans and Chamois Niort Getty Emiliano Sala: Career in pictures Emiliano Sala In 2015, Sala secured a move to Ligue 1 side Nantes EPA Emiliano Sala: Career in pictures Emiliano Sala Sala played 130 times for Nantes, scoring 48 goals in all competitions AFP/Getty Emiliano Sala: Career in pictures Emiliano Sala His form in France saw him catch the eye of a number of clubs around Europe AFP Emiliano Sala: Career in pictures Emiliano Sala Sala was the fifth-highest goalscorer in Ligue 1 this season with 12 goals in 19 games Getty Emiliano Sala: Career in pictures Emiliano Sala Sala agreed to join Cardiff in a club-record £15m deal on Saturday 19 January Cardiff City Emiliano Sala: Career in pictures Emiliano Sala Sala’s flight to Cardiff went missing on Monday 21 January and is believed to have crashed into the English Channel Getty

Guernsey Police said the Piper PA-46 Malibu, a single turbine engine aircraft carrying two people, departed Nantes at 7.15pm for Cardiff and was flying at an altitude of 5,000ft.

On passing Guernsey it "requested descent", but Jersey air traffic control (ATC) lost contact with the plane while it was flying at 2,300ft.

Guernsey Coastguard received an alert at 8.23pm from Jersey ATC that a light aircraft had gone off their radar approximately 15 miles north of Guernsey.

Sala signed for Cardiff in a club-record deal (AFP/Getty)

A major search and rescue operation was triggered involving both St Peter Port and Alderney lifeboats and the Air Search 1 and two HM Coastguard helicopters.

An update from Guernsey Police said: "The search was terminated at 02:00, with all search and rescue assets being stood down, due to strengthening winds, worsening sea conditions and reducing visibility.

"At this time no trace of the missing aircraft had been found."

A Piper Malibu light aircraft, the type of model that lost contact with air traffic control on Monday night (Getty)

The Met Office said the aircraft went missing when ”there were some showers around, but nothing too intense”. “Wind speeds were not too bad – average speeds were around 15 to 20mph,” they added.

The Argentine striker was announced as a new signing for the Premier League side on Saturday and tweeted his farewell to his former teammates at Nantes on Monday afternoon. Nantes president Waldemar Kita described him as an "adorable boy".

Sala posted a photo to his Instagram and Twitter accounts on Monday afternoon posing with the rest of the Nantes squad. He captioned the photo: “The final [heart emoji] goodbye @FCNantes.’’

Sala said when signing: “It gives me great pleasure and I can’t wait to start training, meet my new teammates and get down to work.”