Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw is expected to leave Manchester City when his contract expires at the end of this season.
After months of good faith discussions about a potential new contract, Shaw is understood to want to explore other options despite winning the Women’s Super League with City on Wednesday night.
The 29-year-old striker has scored an impressive 110 goals in 133 appearances for City since joining from Bordeaux in 2021, and is thought to have interest from other clubs, including in the United States, for Chelsea’s show.
Shaw has scored 19 goals in 21 games and is on track to win the WSL Golden Boot for the third consecutive season. In March, she completed the fastest hat-trick in the history of the tournament, setting a new record with a time between her first goal and her third goal of 12 minutes and 37 seconds.
Shaw won the Women’s League Cup with Man City in 2021 and was named WSL Player of the Season for 2023/24 after scoring 21 goals in 18 games.
The Jamaican international could complete a domestic double this season with City set to face Chelsea in the Women’s FA Cup semi-final.
Manchester City can’t afford to lose Shaw – especially Chelsea.
Shaw is on track for third WSL Golden Boot
Analysis by Laura Hunter of Sky Sports:
The future of the Bunny Show was the only prize Andrii Jegratz wanted as much as the Women’s Super League title. That’s how important she is to them as they become champions. Without her, the team would not have finished at the top and she directly contributed to our 10 points during a fantastic campaign.
It seems likely that City negotiated hard to keep hold of their greatest talent, perhaps the most respected striker in the game, but were unable to meet the valuations of their rivals. There should be an immediate investigation into the reason. Why weren’t Manchester City ready to offer what Chelsea and other players have?
Losing the show is a big blow. Losing her to a direct rival in the WSL would be devastating. This is her profile, and there will be more than one or two players to replace her. Not to mention the inexplicable fact that she leaves for free.
But perhaps more concerning is what this move means for a club said to be trying to build on their first title in a decade. Obviously clubs have to operate within a financial framework and the budget is not unlimited, but the best number nine should have flexibility.
Such decisions can be costly mistakes. Chelsea will not be happy about losing the title to City, but if they can secure Shaw’s signature it will be seen as a disappointing victory. You can imagine the scene: “Lauren James finds another show to hit double digits by Christmas.” It could be enough to tip the scales irreversibly in Chelsea’s favor next year as City look to balance European competition with WSL defence.
It’s a way to dampen the momentum of the title party before it really begins.
