Cardiff City's fee restriction transfer embargo for the late initial payment of Emiliano Sala's transfer fee has been reduced from three windows to two. Sala died in a plane crash over the English Channel as he travelled from France to join Cardiff in January 2019. Cardiff were placed under a three-window embargo in December for their failure to pay the first instalment of the £15million transfer fee to Nantes. This was later reduced to a fee restriction after the first instalment was paid, preventing the club from paying transfer fees for players but enabling them to make loan and free agent signings. The fee restriction was in place during the January 2023 window and will continue to be applied this summer, but will now be lifted for the January 2024 window following an appeal to the English Football League's disciplinary commission. An EFL statement read: the Club was 53 days late in making payment so should be sanctioned, but that there were also exceptional circumstances surrounding the case which should be considered. Cardiff had triggered the EFL's '30-day rule' — accumulating 30 days of late payments in a 12-month period — when they were late in making the initial payment to Nantes for Sala. A Cardiff statement read: Cardiff City Football Club are extremely pleased with this decision, which recognises the exceptional set of circumstances the Club finds itself in. In August, Cardiff lost their appeal against a ruling by governing body FIFA to pay the first instalment of Sala's £15 million transfer fee. Cardiff claimed he was not officially their player when he died. They refused to make any interim payments. FIFA ruled they should pay a first instalment of £5.3m and imposed a three-window transfer ban if they did not pay. The Court of Arbitration for Sport heard an appeal in March, which it dismissed. Cardiff will also make a payment toward the EFL's legal costs and arbitrators' fees. The club's appeal was granted due to the exceptional circumstances surrounding the case. Emiliano Sala's transfer fee has been a point of contention between Cardiff and Nantes. The reduction of the embargo is a significant development for Cardiff City, allowing them to make signings sooner. The club will be able to make loan and free agent signings during the summer window, but will have to wait until January 2024 to make transfer fee payments.