Bunny Shaw to Leave Manchester City in June After Deal Talks Stall

bunny shaw will leave Manchester City this summer when her contract ends in June, closing a run that delivered 19 WSL goals this season. The 29-year-old had been close to a new deal in March, but the talks shifted, and City now face replacing their most reliable scorer.

City’s 19-goal exit

Shaw scored 19 times in 21 WSL games this season, a return that helped Manchester City win their first WSL title in 10 years. She is also on course to win the Golden Boot for a third consecutive season, which makes her exit more than a routine squad change; it strips the champions of the player most directly tied to their scoring edge.

She told City she wanted to stay, which narrows the story to the deal itself rather than any desire to move on. Negotiations hit stumbling blocks over the proposed length of the extension, and City were not able to match terms offered by rival teams. That left the club with a striker who stayed productive through the season and a contract that could not be extended on its terms.

Chelsea, Barcelona, and NWSL

Chelsea are reportedly ready to pay Shaw £1m a year, a figure that sets the market for the 29-year-old as one of the most valuable forwards in the women’s game. Barcelona, several NWSL teams, and the London City Lionesses have also shown interest, so the bidding picture is broader than one club trying to pry her away.

For City, the timing is awkward. They were confirmed as champions on Wednesday night when Arsenal were held to a draw at Brighton, and Shaw is in line to face Chelsea in Sunday’s Women’s FA Cup semi-final at Stamford Bridge. A player leaving after a title season can still be decisive in the short term, but the next issue is whether City can hold their edge while a rival, especially Chelsea, pushes to turn interest into a deal.

Stamford Bridge and West Ham

Sunday’s semi-final gives Shaw one more high-profile run-out before the contract clock runs down, and City’s final league game at West Ham follows the next Saturday. After that, the transfer race can move from speculation to execution, with the biggest question no longer whether Shaw will leave but which club can actually meet the terms that pushed her out of Manchester City.