Cardiff City football club have been told to pay $6.54m of the transfer fee they agreed for Argentinian striker Emiliano Sala who died in a plane crash on his way to the Welsh club.

The amount corresponds to the first installment of what was due to be a $16.35m payment to secure the playing services of Sala from his previous club Nantes.

Football's governing body, FIFA, made the ruling after they were called on to mediate by Nantes following the accident over the English Channel that cost Sala his life in January.

Cardiff had claimed they were not liable because Sala had not completed his registration with the Premier League at the time. 

It is not clear whether FIFA will require them to settle the rest of the transfer fee at a later date. Cardiff said they were seeking clarification.