Cardiff boss Warnock casts doubts over deal for Ligue 1 striker

Cardiff manager Neil Warnock has revealed he is unsure whether the club will sign Nantes forward Emiliano Sala next month.

Sala has been a revelation for Nantes this season and has emerged as a top transfer target for Cardiff, as Neil Warnock looks for greater firepower for the second half of the season.

Cardiff had agreed a fee with their French counterparts in the region of £15m but Warnock revealed after Saturday’s 5-1 defeat to Manchester United that Nantes have now asked for more.

“It’s very difficult,” he told Sky Sports. “I thought we agreed a fee with a club but then they came back with another couple of million.

“If he’s coming over, it won’t be for £20m. He was one of the players (we are looking at). I expect to bring two or three but it may not be our first choices. I’m not going to have a gun put to my head.”

Cardiff will spend Christmas outside of the bottom three despite being thrashed at the weekend but are only one place and two points adrift of the top three.

The Bluebirds have only scored 18 goals in as many Premier League matches this season, while only Kylian Mbappe (13) has scored more Ligue 1 goals than Sala this season (12).