Cardiff have confirmed the signing of Argentinian striker Emiliano Sala from Nantes for a club-record fee in the region of £15million.
The Bluebirds announced the deal, which is subject to international clearance, within hours of their 3-0 defeat at Newcastle which plunged them back into the Premier League relegation zone.
Sala, who has scored 12 goals in 19 games in Ligue 1 this season, has signed a three-and-a-half-year contract.
#CardiffCity is delighted to announce the Club-record signing of @EmilianoSala1, subject to international clearance. 👉 https://t.co/goA1v3wtWi@eToro #CityAsOne 🔵⚽️🔵⚽️ pic.twitter.com/Uyv670nVBV — Cardiff City FC (@CardiffCityFC) January 19, 2019
The 28-year-old told Cardiff's official website: "I'm very happy to be here. It gives me great pleasure and I can't wait to start training, meet my new team-mates and get down to work.
"For me it feels special [to be the club's record signing]. I have come here wanting to work and to help my team-mates and the club."
Sala, whose fee, while officially undisclosed, eclipses the previous record of £11m paid for Gary Medel in 2013, becomes Cardiff's second signing of the January transfer window.
There is a new Sala in town @premierleague 😎 Very happy to sign here @cardiffcityfc !! I know the challenge is big but together we will make it 🙌Impatient to discover the league & the team #BlueBirds pic.twitter.com/OiNQUpBpiB — Emiliano Sala (@EmilianoSala1) January 19, 2019
Oumar Niasse joined on loan from Everton last week and made his debut at St James's Park but was unable to rescue his new side from another potentially costly defeat.
Sala began his professional career with Bordeaux before moving to Nantes in 2015, and had been tracked by the Bluebirds for some time.
Cardiff chief executive Ken Choo told his club's official website: "It's obviously been a long process to secure the services of Emiliano but I'm very pleased that we're now in a position whereby we can confirm his signature.
"We see Emiliano as a significant acquisition and welcome him wholeheartedly to the capital city of Wales."
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