Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw stays at Manchester City

Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw announced during Manchester City’s trophy parade that she has signed a new four-year contract and will remain at the reigning Women’s Super League champions. The Jamaica international and WSL’s golden boot winner for three straight seasons confirmed the news to fans as City celebrated their title, saying: ‘I’m still here, I’m still hungry and there’s no place I’d rather be.”

More than goals

Shaw’s decision is a seismic result for City and the Women’s Super League (WSL). She finished the season with 21 goals in 22 games. A haul that directly powered City to the title and underlined her status as one of the world’s most feared centre forwards. Losing her, especially on a free transfer would have been catastrophic for City’s short and medium term ambitions.

City negotiated hard to keep her, reportedly matching and then bettering a major offer from Chelsea, thereby surpassing other high-value deals in the women’s game. The new contract is described as a record in the women’s game, reflecting both Shaw’s on field value and her commercial and cultural pull..

Manchester City director of football, Therese Sjogran, framed the deal as a statement:

We’re delighted that Bunny has agreed to another four years at Manchester City.

We’ve had a tremendous 2025/26 campaign and she’s been a key figure in that success. I’m sure if we also get the result we’re hoping for in the FA Cup final on Sunday, she’ll have played a huge role in that as well.

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.

That endowment is important. It signals that City will back their core stars financially and that they see Shaw as the linchpin of the next phase of their project. For rivals, it’s a warning: City intend to defend what they’ve won and they’ve just removed the most obvious route for a rival to weaken them.

The numbers do not lie

• 21 goals in 22 games this season, WSL Golden Boot for three consecutive seasons.
• Four year contract
• Chelsea reportedly offered more than £1.2m per season, which Manchester City matched or bettered.

These figures make the deal both a sporting and financial milestone for the WSL. Elite players are commanding elite contracts and clubs are prepared to spend to keep them. The ripple effect will be felt across transfer markets and wage structures.

What this means for club and player

For Shaw, the new deal buys stability and a platform to chase more silverware and personal milestones. For City, it secures the most prolific striker in the league and preserves continuity as they prepare for Champions League football and a title defence. Expect City to build around Shaw’s strengths; her pace, finishing and leadership rather than replace her with a like for like signing.

Tactically, opponents will try to limit her influence, but City’s recruitment and coaching will now focus on giving Shaw the service and support to keep her firing at the highest level. Her presence helps City to retain and attract other top players who want to play alongside a proven goalscorer.

Khadita Bunny Shaw staying at Manchester City is a win for the club, the player and the WSL. It preserves a championship winning core. It has set a new benchmark for contracts in the women’s game and keeps one of the sports most potent attacking threats in English football. The parade announcement was more than a feel-good moment, it was a strategic coup that reshapes the competitive landscape heading into the next season.

If City convert this momentum into sustained success, Shaw’s deal will look like the defining move of a title winning era.

Featured image via Getty/Lewis Storey

By Faz Ali

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