Cardiff seek advice of Prem rivals over £15m transfer fee for Emiliano Sala
Law firm representing the Bluebirds have been sent in the past few days requesting help and asking clubs for assistance in ‘sharing your knowledge of Sala as a player'
CARDIFF CITY are reportedly seeking advice from their Premier League rivals over the £15million fee owed to Nantes for tragic striker Emiliano Sala.
The Mail on Sunday have allegedly seen letters from lawyers acting on behalf of the Bluebirds requesting help in “fighting off Nantes’ legal claim”.
And they have asked fellow Prem clubs for assistance in “sharing your knowledge of Sala as a player”.
Correspondence from a Welsh law firm describes the tragic striker as “the player that Cardiff tried to sign” – phrasing which it’s alleged indicates they believe they might not have to pay all – or maybe any – of the club-record fee.
News of the letters comes after boss Neil Warnock and chief executive Ken Choo travelled to Argentina to attend the late plane crash victim’s funeral yesterday.
The Mail on Sunday report Cardiff’s decision to approach Prem clubs who were publicly linked with an interest in Sala is partly due to the agent of the transfer Willie McKay’s admission in an email to the forward he had attempted to artificially hike up the price.
McKay revealed to Sala he had informed media of rival interest in order to “just to stimulate interest in you”.
It’s now claimed Cardiff want to establish whether there was any actual real interest at all from their rivals, with McKay’s email stating West Ham and Everton were two he had linked the player with.
‘ETERNALLY IN OUR HEARTS’ Emiliano Sala’s family weep over his coffin as Cardiff manager Neil Warnock joins hundreds of mourners at emotional funeral in Argentina
Wolves, Burnley, Crystal Palace and Fulham were also reportedly plotting a swoop.
One club had been publicly linked to Sala after a text message signalled his availability while another team was believed to be bemused to have received the letter from Cardiff, claiming “we didn’t even watch him play”.
Cardiff have always maintained they will “do the right thing” with regards to paying Nantes, but they “first want full facts disclosed about what happened and the involvement of agents with Nantes in the deal”.
Also the large number of brokers involved in the deal is causing concern among Cardiff, with the Welsh outfit wanting clarification what part each individual played.
Sala, who was killed aged 28 in a plane crash along with pilot David Ibbotson in the English Channel while travelling from France to Wales, was laid to rest at a service in Argentina yesterday.
His family wept over his coffin as hundreds of the footballer’s friends and relatives gathered to say goodbye in South America.
Mourners arrived wearing “Emi” number 9 shirts in tribute to the Cardiff striker, before his coffin was carried out from his childhood club for a private cremation.
Following the memorial at the club, the striker’s body was taken back to the city of Santa Fe for a private crematorium service for family members.