Nantes have referred their dispute with Cardiff City regarding Emiliano Sala's transfer fee to world governing body Fifa, according to a report.
Agence France-Presse reported Wednesday that the French club have taken their case to Fifa after the Welsh club missed a deadline for the first instalment of Sala's £15 million (Dh73m) fee on February 27.
The clubs are wrangling over payment of the fee following the tragic death of 28-year-old Argentine striker, who died when a single-engine plane carrying him from France en route to the Welsh capital crashed into the English Channel on January 21.
An inquest into the player's death this month found that Sala died of head and trunk injuries.
After an extensive search involving local and French authorities, wreckage was found on February 3 following a privately-funded underwater search and Sala's body was recovered three days later while the plane's pilot, David Ibbotson, is still missing.
Staff from both clubs, including Cardiff manager Neil Warnock and chief executive Ken Choo, traveled to Argentina last week to attend Sala's funeral.
Last week it was reported that an error made by Cardiff when registering Sala with the Premier League was not resolved before the player's death.
It is understood Cardiff have also written to Nantes seeking evidence the French club had fully deregistered the Argentine prior to the January 21 crash.
