However Carden had signed a pre-contract agreement with Wrexham ahead of the new season, and the Welsh side are believed to have contacted the FA in order to clarify their position ahead of any further action.
Cardiff could still come up with an agreed repayment structure - so the club avoid a winding-up order just days before their lucrative FA Cup fifth round tie with holders Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
The 2008 FA Cup finalists face a second winding up order on 10 February if an unpaid tax bill to Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs is not paid by then.
Sharp is keen for the Blues to strengthen their squad in order to maintain the momentum, which saw them finish fifth in the Premier League and reach the FA Cup Final last season.