Bunny Shaw signs £4m City deal in shock U-turn
Bunny Shaw signs £4m City deal in shock U-turn
Kathryn BatteMon, May 25, 2026 at 8:44 PM UTC
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Khadija Shaw shocked fans at Manchester City’s trophy parade by announcing she was staying at the club - Lewis Storey/Getty Images
Khadija “Bunny” Shaw has performed a remarkable about-turn by signing a new four-year contract with Manchester City worth more than £1m per year.
Shaw, who won the Women’s Super League golden boot for a third successive year, was ready to leave City at the end of her contract after negotiations broke down, seemingly heading to Chelsea on a free transfer.
But Telegraph Sport understands City reopened talks with Shaw shortly after winning the WSL title. The forward, who announced her new contract on stage during City’s parade, is understood to have agreed to fresh terms in the last 24 hours.
“I am still here, I am still hungry and there is no place I would rather be,” Shaw said. “I am happy to announce I will be staying at the football club.”
Shaw’s preference had always been to remain with City, but the club had been unwilling to match Chelsea’s offer of £1m per year.
City had begun looking at replacements for Shaw but they faced a huge backlash after news of her impending departure broke.
The club’s hierarchy was persuaded to reconsider their original stance of not wanting to break from the wage structure they have in place.
Negotiations then recommenced, with Shaw directly involved in the talks. Once City indicated they would go beyond Chelsea’s offer, with the London club not prepared to go any higher, Shaw was happy to sign.
The agreement brings an end to a saga that had threatened to overshadow City’s first title win in 10 years and their chance of completing a league and cup double this weekend.
How City managed to keep their best player
It is nothing short of crazy that it has taken City this long to tie down their record goalscorer to a new contract, given it had always been Shaw’s preference to remain with the club.
Negotiations between the two parties began in August 2025.
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There have been tensions throughout the past 10 months, with City’s offers falling well below the striker’s expectations. Their original offer is understood not to have been much above what Shaw was currently being paid.
Shaw has proved herself to be one of the world’s best strikers. She has 117 goals and 28 assists in just 137 appearances for City.
While Shaw had loyalty to City and emotional ties from making close friends at the club, she knew her worth. The forward also had her family in Jamaica to consider. Chelsea and other clubs indicated they would be willing to pay Shaw far more than City were offering. There was also an issue regarding the contract length.
Chelsea were always the frontrunners because Shaw wanted to stay in the WSL and also wanted Champions League football. The situation started to become embarrassing for City. Shaw scored twice as City came from 2-0 down to beat Chelsea 3-2 after extra time in their FA Cup semi-final.
She was then crowned WSL Player of the Season and also picked up the Football Writers’ Award. After winning the WSL title, and with an FA Cup final to play this weekend, Charlotte O’Neill, City’s managing director, recently spoke about wanting to create a “dynasty” and a “winning machine”.
It seemed inconceivable that they were willing to let their best player leave for free, even worse that she was poised to join a direct rival.
In the end, City realised they could not let that happen. They reneged on their stance of not breaking their wage structure and told Shaw they would pay her what she wanted as well as agreeing to a long-term deal of four years.
There was a pointed remark from Therese Sjögran, City’s director of football, in the club’s release.
“It’s a huge statement from City that we’ve secured the services of one of the best centre-forwards in the world, but also from Bunny that she believes we’re the best place for her to succeed,” Sjögran said. “I’d like to thank her for that continued faith in what we’re hoping to achieve.”
“The stats and awards speak for themselves, but there’s so much more to Bunny than what she does on the pitch. She has become a real leader in the team and I’m sure she’ll be a driving force on our return to Champions League football next season and our push to retain the WSL title.”
Shaw’s new contract is almost as good as a trophy for City, while it represents a blow to Chelsea, who had been confident of acquiring her services.
City now go into this weekend’s FA Cup final, against Brighton and Hove Albion, in an even stronger position. With Shaw continuing to lead the line, there is every chance they can build on this season’s success and create the dynasty this team aspires to be.
Source: “AOL Sports”
