Rescuers suspend search for missing footballer Emiliano Sala

Police on Tuesday suspended the search for a light aircraft carrying Cardiff City's new signing Emiliano Sala after it disappeared over the English Channel en route to the Welsh capital for the soccer player to make his club debut.

They said a number of floating objects had been seen in the water but were unable to confirm whether any were from the missing aircraft.

"Search and rescue operations have been suspended as the sun has now set," Guernsey Police said on Tuesday evening. 

"The current plan is for (them) to resume at sunrise tomorrow."

Sala, signed by Cardiff on Saturday from French club Nantes for a club record fee of $19.3 million, was on board a small single-engine plane flying to Cardiff that went missing around 20 kilometres north of the island of Guernsey.

In a statement, Guernsey police said the missing aircraft had been flying from Nantes to Cardiff with two people on board.

"A search and rescue operation is currently underway off the north of Alderney after a light aircraft disappeared from radar several hours ago. 2 helicopters alongside the Guernsey and Alderney lifeboats are searching. We will provide more information as it becomes available."

It had later abandoned the search because of bad weather, but said it in a tweet that the search had resumed on Tuesday morning.

The British coastguard said it was assisting Guernsey with the search.