Emiliano Sala latest: Cardiff will pay full transfer fee to Nantes if "contractually obliged"

Cardiff City chairman Mehmet Delman says the club is still collecting information over the £15 million ($19 million) record transfer fee to Nantes for Emiliano Sala "if contractually obliged." Sala signed for the Bluebirds in January and suffered a plane crash in the English Channel, on his way to his new club. Sala was killed in the crash, at the age of 28. His body was recovered from the seabed wreckage last Thursday but the plane's pilot, David Ibbotson is yet to be found. Afundraising campaign was launched by Ibbotson's family for the resumption of the search for the pilot. Cardiff owner Vincent Tan made a personal donation of £50,000 to the cause.

Despite a demand for the first instalment of the transfer fee from Nantes, the Welsh club is hesitant to pay as they are still seeking for clarification on the issue.

"Of course, if we are contractually obliged to pay them then of course we will. We are an honourable club. But if we are not - and there are some anomalies in that - then surely you would expect me as the chairman and guardian of this club's interests to look into that and hold our position. That is what we are doing," the Cardiff chairman told BBC Sport Wales.

"We are still in the process of gathering information and that process will be ongoing. And when we reach a level where we have enough information, I am sure we will sit down with Nantes and move forward."

Dalman further said: "They (Nantes) have asked for what they believe is the money due to them and there is a process and they have initiated that process.

"What we are saying is, that we are not in agreement with that process given the extraordinary events that have taken place and the tragic circumstances. We are not making any positive or negative statements.

"We are simply saying, please understand there are a lot of questions which need to be answered and that is what we are trying to do."

Cardiff manager Neil Warnock found himself in an uneasy position for his connections with agent Willie McKay, who had helped make arrangements for the doomed flight which Sala took from Nantes. Right after the disappearance of Sala's plane last month, Warnock said he had considered his future  "24 hours a day, seven days a week" after the most difficult experience in his career. Responding to that, Dalman said: "That discussion has never taken place, and I have absolutely no intention of holding that discussion."

Dalman dismissed suggestions Warnock's position was under scrutiny after the incident, saying "It is important that he understands we are there for him.

"He was there for us in a difficult period and got us promoted. He has brought some great players into the club and I want him to know we are a family.

"The fans, the board, the chairman, the CEO and the owner are fully behind him as he strives to achieve the status of staying in the Premier League."