After a historic 2024-2025 Women’s Super League season that ended with a second league title for Manchester City, Jamaican superstar and captain of Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz Khadija “Bunny” Shaw has cemented her status as one of the greatest players in WSL history — but her next chapter remains up in the air, with her contract at the reigning champions set to expire in June 2025.
City secured the trophy with a commanding 4-1 victory over West Ham United on the final matchday, finishing with 55 points, four points clear of second-place Arsenal to claim the club’s second WSL crown. For 29-year-old Shaw, the title marked her first league win with the club, and she delivered a title-clinching performance, scoring two goals in the win. That double pushed her final season tally to 21 goals in 22 league appearances, earning her a third consecutive WSL Golden Boot — a feat no player in league history has ever achieved.
Shaw’s incredible season did not end with the league title. Earlier this month, she was named the Football Writers Association Women’s Player of the Year, and just this week, she claimed the WSL Player of the Season award for the second time in her career. Since joining Manchester City from French side Bordeaux in 2021, Shaw has rewritten the club’s record books, netting 117 goals in 137 appearances across all competitions — making her the only player in Manchester City women’s history to surpass the 100-goal milestone. Next weekend, on May 31, she will look to help the club complete a historic domestic double when City takes on Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup final.
But behind the celebrations, contract uncertainty hangs over Shaw’s time at the club. Her current deal expires next month, and according to British media reports, negotiations over a new contract have hit an impasse, with the length of the proposed extension emerging as the key sticking point.
If Manchester City cannot agree to new terms, the striker has no shortage of suitors across the globe. Eight-time WSL champions Chelsea are reportedly leading the race to sign Shaw, with the London side prepared to offer her an annual salary of £1 million, a deal that would make her one of the highest-paid players in women’s football. Multiple-time Spanish Primera Division and UEFA Women’s Champions League winners FC Barcelona, as well as several top National Women’s Soccer League clubs in the United States, are also monitoring the situation and preparing formal offers if Shaw becomes a free agent.
Speaking to Sky Sports following the title win, Shaw acknowledged she would prefer to remain at the club where she has built her career, but stopped short of confirming she would stay. “I’ve always said Manchester is my home, it’s where I want to be, but there’s a lot of things which go on behind the scenes which I won’t talk about now,” Shaw said. “Manchester is where I would want to be, but ultimately we’ll see what happens.”
Ellen White, Manchester City’s former all-time leading goalscorer and Shaw’s ex-teammate, has spoken out publicly urging the club to get a deal done, warning that letting Shaw leave would be a critical mistake.
“She has to do what she feels is right for her and be where she feels most wanted and most valued. Why wouldn’t you give her what she deserves?” White told the BBC. “She has won the Golden Boot for three consecutive seasons in the WSL, no forward comes close to her goal contributions, and when she’s had the chance to play in the Champions League, she’s scored too. If you have the ability to pay her what she deserves and you don’t get her to sign a contract, you’re letting her go to a direct rival like Chelsea. It’s baffling. If you want to keep winning titles, you won’t have anyone who can score that many goals season after season. Is there any other player like that in the WSL, in Europe, in the United States, or even in the world?”
Despite the off-field speculation, Shaw says she is focused on savoring her first league title with City after a grueling season. “A lot of emotions, it’s been a long season, grind, hard work. We have ups and downs, but we live for these moments and I can’t wait to celebrate,” Shaw said. “It’s been a long season, I’ve always tried to do the best I can, the players I have around me make me look good.”
Looking ahead, Shaw’s upcoming international schedule adds another layer of uncertainty. It remains unclear whether she will be fit and available for Jamaica’s friendly matches against Panama scheduled for June 5 and 8. Regardless of her club future, Shaw is set to lead the Reggae Girlz this November, when Jamaica will face Costa Rica in the quarter-finals of the Concacaf Women’s Championship, with a spot in the 2026 FIFA Women’s World Cup on the line. A win would book Jamaica’s third consecutive World Cup appearance, another milestone in Shaw’s already legendary career.