Lionel Messi joins other football stars to call for search of Emiliano Sala

- Lionel Messi urges rescue team to continue search for missing football star Emiliano Sala

- The striker went missing earlier this week on his way to Cardiff City from his former club Nantes

- Sala recently sealed a £15m deal with the Premier League club during this winter transfer window

Lionel Messi has charged the authorities to resume the search for missing Argentine star Emiliano Sala and pilot David Ibbotson.

The 28-year-old Argentine was due to arrive Cardiff City earlier this week following his £15 million deal from Nantes this month.

His plane was said to have disappeared on Monday near Guernsey and a three-day search of the English Channel was called off on Thursday.

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BBC reports that his former club Nantes posted on social media: "This search mustn't stop."

The Barcelona captain said that: "While there is possibility, even a shred of hope, we ask don't stop searching." He further stated that: "All my strength and support to his family and friends."

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero also lend his voice to the search of the star player after using the social media hashtag #NoDejenDeBuscar - "do not stop searching"

According to BBC, rescue crews have completed a search of about 1,700 square miles of land and sea since the Piper PA-46 Malibu vanished from radar on Monday evening near the Channel Island of Alderney.

The Argentine became Cardiff's £15m record signing after sealing a move to the Premier League club on Saturday.

Having gone to bid his former teammates goodbye at Nantes and move to his new club at the Welsh capital, his plane disappeared and has not been found since then.

Guernsey harbourmaster Capt David Barker said it had been a "difficult" decision to call off the search, but explained the chances of survival were "extremely remote" given the time elapsed.

Meanwhile, Air Accident Investigation Branch is investigating "all operational aspects of the flight including licensing".

The publication also stated that Sala's sister Romina travelled to Cardiff to hold a news conference on Thursday, where she pleaded with authorities: "Please, please, please don't stop the search. We understand the effort but please don't stop the search."

Aguero led the calls from footballers to continue trying to find his compatriot Sala, tweeting: "We don't want to give up, we want to hold on to hope... don't call off the search."

Argentina defender Nicolas Otamendi, urged rescuers to "keep searching", while Chelsea's new Argentine signing Gonzalo Higuain called on "the world" to use social media to ask that the search be continued.

Newcastle United's Argentine defender Federico Fernandez - a former Swansea City player, Marseille's France winger Florian Thauvin and Brazilian ex-Manchester United defender Fabio da Silva - now with Nantes - were among those to offer support to the search for Sala.

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Legit.ng earlier reported that Emiliano Sala will continue to live in the hearts of Cardiff City supporters as the club faithful unveiled a banner in memory of the missing player.

Sala, who completed a £15m switch from Nantes to Cardiff City on Saturday, January 19, went to France to say his goodbyes to his teammates in Nantes and was heading back to Welsh capital on Monday, January 21, before he went missing.

His flight went missing off the Channel Islands and after days of endless search for Sala and pilot David Ibbotson, the police ended search for the both of them.