EXCLUSIVE:EMILIANO SALA WAS AVAILABLE FOR £5MILL LAST SUMMER

Exclusive: Emiliano Sala 'offered to Championship clubs for £5m' transfer fee last summer


Daily Mirror

By Rich Jones Sport

Friday 1st March 2019


Tragic striker Emiliano Sala could have made his move to England last summer after being offered to Championship clubs for just £5million.

FC Nantes tested the market with a modest price tag but he eventually stayed put in Ligue 1.

His fine form in the first half of the season saw his value sky rocket, and just six months later he was snapped up by Premier League Cardiff City in a club record deal for an initial £15m.

He sadly never made it to English football, with the plane carrying him to Cardiff for his first training session with the Bluebirds crashing into the English Channel in January, killing the 28-year-old striker and pilot David Ibbotson.

“Sala’s name was being put about last summer and he could have left Nantes for £5m," an anonymous Championship club told The Sun.

“Whatever Cardiff agreed to pay is up to them but it’s obviously a big jump in just six months.”


The news comes as Cardiff City continue to ask questions about the fee they paid for Sala and investigate where commissions for the deal were due to end up with a number of agents involved in the transfer.

The huge jump in price tag is sure to attract their attention and probe further questions.


Agent Willie McKay hit out at the Bluebirds on Thursday in an interview with the BBC.

"He was abandoned in a hotel more or less to do his travel arrangements himself," McKay said.

"Nobody in Cardiff seemed to be doing anything. It was a bit embarrassing for Cardiff.

"They buy a player for 17m euros and then leave him in a hotel by himself to go on the computer and look for a flight - I think Cardiff let themselves down badly.

"The way they've acted so far, they've been a disgrace."

However, it has since emerged from leaked WhatsApp messages between Sala and Cardiff's player liaison officer that he was offered a place on a commercial flight to the Welsh capital and opted to make his own arrangements.

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I only said this week to Carl, Sven and another mate Rob, that I got told Sala was originally only £5mill and agents together hiked up the price to us, but also was mentioned to me they were helped along by someone our side as well, not good at all, I really hope its not true

it's no secret that foreign clubs double, triple the price when a premier league team makes enquiries. this is because they have more money, and prove the foreign teams right by overpaying time and time again.

frankly the fee for a relatively unproven 28 year old was on the high side, and i said so at the time.

based on his record, you'd agree he's probably better than what we already have, but £18m for a 28 year old? yes he's in a purple patch, but his record is not great. i know the market has moved on even since last season, but this seems far too much. only premier league or chinese clubs would pay that sort of money.

when someone pointed out glenn murray was scoring at 35, i said the following:

murray is the exception not the rule.

within a year or two sala's transfer value has diminished hugely and this is borne out through countless transfers. it's the best time to cash in on a player.

we got ripped off again, like we did for cornelius.

McKay has already admitted to making fictitious interest from other clubs to inflate the price. What bothers me is who authorised the signing of his two sons to our club? There is so many underhanded dealings that I'm sure will come out in the public domain soon

I can believe he was only worth £5m last summer.

But that’s because his best season came in the first half of this season, he didn’t exactly pull up any trees before then.

So that’s why he was worth more in January.

McKay has already admitted to making fictitious interest from other clubs to inflate the price. What bothers me is who authorised the signing of his two sons to our club? There is so many underhanded dealings that I'm sure will come out in the public domain soon

And me mate, 3 year contracts for his two useless sons Katy our club, something smells??

and agents involved??

5m offer in championship last season doesn't have relevance in premier league as never pay same prices, we all know premier league is over inflated when comes to foreign players so a bit of agent hype at work in this case as well.

It’s nothing new.

How much where we offered for Zohore after his purple patch?

How much is he worth now?

"An anonymous championship club told the sun"

Absolutely no reason why not to believe every word written then I guess.

Not much of a surprise, it pretty much happens with every inform player.

On the Sunday before he died I had my say on another thread and was shot down in flames.

He was never a £15 million player and was never going to solve out problems but all that is trivial now

Most pointless article ever written. Of course he was a £15m player when we bought him, he had a scoring record equal to cavani and neymar in his league, there’s no way Nantes let him go for £5m then.

Leicester probably would’ve taken £5m for Jamie Vardy after his first two seasons, but it was his goal scoring that then made his value skyrocket

I only said this week to Carl, Sven and another mate Rob, that I got told Sala was originally only £5mill and agents together hiked up the price to us, but also was mentioned to me they were helped along by someone our side as well, not good at all, I really hope its not true

Annis, you certainly did and so it has been confirmed

Whether or not we paid (or have been invoiced for) a £15m player is one thing but the admission of Willie McKay that he actively deceived Cardiff City FC to line his own (ahem, I mean his boy's) pocket is conformation to me that the man is lower than a snake's belly!

He appears to be desperate to drag Cardiff City FC into the mire to save his own sorry backside and I just hope the club keep a little decorum when answering questions on any aspect of this whole sorry affair; one which is likely to drag on for some time!

Most pointless article ever written. Of course he was a £15m player when we bought him, he had a scoring record equal to cavani and neymar in his league, there’s no way Nantes let him go for £5m then.

Leicester probably would’ve taken £5m for Jamie Vardy after his first two seasons, but it was his goal scoring that then made his value skyrocket

Not 'pointless' at all; to say so is to misunderstand what has gone on here...!

McKay has already admitted to making fictitious interest from other clubs to inflate the price. What bothers me is who authorised the signing of his two sons to our club? There is so many underhanded dealings that I'm sure will come out in the public domain soon

And me mate, 3 year contracts for his two useless sons Katy our club, something smells??

and agents involved??

There is nothing illegal about hiring a player who is the son of an agent. Obviously the McKay's are not going to be pro players but it's insanely commonplace in football for nepotism to exist.

FA and Fifa must tighten rules around agents, but unfortunately it's those who exploit the loopholes the best that win.

"An anonymous championship club told the sun"

Absolutely no reason why not to believe every word written then I guess.

Exactly mate , nail on head