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The Premier League have told Cardiff City that they will not be granted an extension to the transfer window, despite the disappearance of new club record signing Emiliano Sala.

Rescue operations continued to search for the Argentine and pilot David Ibbotson on Thursday morning, after their aircraft disappeared from radar over the English Channel on Monday night.

Guernsey Police have been searching for the single-engine aircraft - which was returning the £15million striker from Nantes to Cardiff - but it has yet to be found.

With the rescue attempt and situation ongoing, it had been suggested that the Welsh side could be allowed to sign a new player after the January 31 deadline.

But the club’s chief executive, Ken Choo, says the club must abide by the same rules as the other 19 teams in England’s top flight, despite the extenuating circumstances.

(Image: Getty Images)

Choo told talkSPORT: "I think from the club's perspective, we are managing the situation but we have another department that has to continue with looking at the transfers.

"I am basically multi-tasking three or four jobs at once. It is really difficult physically and emotionally and mentally to cope in a situation like this.

"We have to segregate our minds into looking for Emiliano, segregate our minds into helping the family - and the club is trying its best to provide the most care for the family and giving them the information they want, we want to tell them all the facts line-by-line.

"We are still running a business which continues, we still have to meet the transfer deadline.

(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

"We have spoken to the Premier League on how tough it is for us to cope given there are eight days to go [until the deadline] and we have been watching Emiliano for months and we got it over the line finally.

"And now we have eight days to go and we don't really know how to cope with this scenario but we have to meet the deadline.

"The bottom line from the Premier League is that you have to meet the deadline like everyone else.”

Sala had been returning to south Wales in a Piper PA-46 Malibu single engine, chartered by agent Mark McKay, in time to train on Tuesday.

Choo added that Cardiff had offered to get Sala on a commercial flight to the UK from Paris but were informed the player had already made travel arrangements.

(Image: Internet Unknown)

"We made offers for Emiliano to fly on commercial [flights] from Paris but the player said 'don't worry about that, I have alternative arrangements, I will see you at the [training] ground on Tuesday.

"He requested our club officials pick him up from the airport in Cardiff on Monday night after touchdown at 8.45pm.

"On hindsight, we should have pushed but we had communicated with the player and we had to respect the wishes of the player.

"I think that is very important, we did not want to make the player uncomfortable on any arrangements."