French football club Nantes have started legal action against Cardiff City, asking for the first payment in the £15m deal to buy Emiliano Sala, Sky sources say.

The French club is demanding that the instalment, understood to be more than £5m, is transferred to them immediately.

Sky Sports News understands that Cardiff City feel they should wait for the salvage operation and the investigation into the plane crash in the Channel to end before any payments are made.

Image: The AAIB boat in the background and the private search boat in the foreground

Cardiff have not yet paid any of the fee, a record for the club, for the Argentinian striker.

Privately Cardiff believe there are questions that still need answering, such as over the ownership of the Piper Malibu aircraft which crashed north of Guernsey on 21 January.


The Premier League club is also concerned about reports the plane tried to take off three times before eventually taking to the air.

Cardiff received the first letter from Nantes' lawyers more than a week ago following a series of phone calls from the French club.

Cardiff's lawyers have asked for more time.

Cardiff City supporters club spokesman Vince Alm said fans were "incensed" by the timing of the legal action.

He told Sky News: "The timing is all wrong. The families still haven't had any closure and they've seen reports of a legal case between the football clubs being started.

"I don't know who's advising Nantes but they are ill-advised to start this now. It has to be sorted out who pays the money but the timing is all wrong and they need to do it after the investigation."

Image: Emiliano Sala was Cardiff's record signing but had not played for the club

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) began trying to recover a body spotted in the seabed wreckage of the plane, on Tuesday.

The wreckage was discovered on Sunday by Blue Water Recoveries, marine recovery specialists who were hired thanks to a crowdfunding appeal launched after the official search was called off.

It is not known if the remains, located by an underwater camera, are those of Sala or pilot David Ibbotson, the only people on board.

The AAIB said in a statement:"We are attempting to (recover) the body. If we are successful, we will consider the feasibility of recovering the aircraft wreckage.

"Strong tidal conditions mean we can only use the remotely operated vehicle for limited periods each day and this will mean that progress is slow."