Bunny Shaw to Chelsea?! Man City 'close' to new deal for out-of-contract striker amid interest from WSL rivals

Man City are having an outstanding season and are on course for a first WSL title since 2016, sitting eight points clear at the top of the table with just six games remaining. However, Shaw's unresolved future is a big concern, with the Jamaica international underlining her status as one of the world's best with 15 goals in 16 league games this term.

If Shaw is not to renew her contract at Man City, which expires in just a few months, The Times reported on Wednesday that Chelsea were thought to be the leading contenders to sign her, as the Blues were offering her more money than her current club.

It's a surprise that Shaw's situation has reached this point. City have been very good at renewing the contracts of their key players in recent years, tying them down early to avoid any difficult scenarios like this one and to reduce the chances of losing any important figures. Shaw has never had anything but good things to say about her time in Manchester, too, with it unclear at this stage what could have led to such slow progress in negotiations over a new deal.

However, Andree Jeglertz, City's head coach, had confirmed earlier in the season that talks were indeed underway over a contract and, just a day after the links to Chelsea emerged, the Guardian reported on Thursday that Shaw was 'close' to agreeing a new deal in Manchester. The report said that talks between the two parties had 'progressed positively' in recent weeks and although the 'fine details' are still to be ironed out, City have 'confidence' that their star striker will sign a new contract.

It's hard to overstate how big a blow it would be for City to lose Shaw and, as such, how positive this news is for the club. Her importance to the team is evident just in the numbers, with 108 goals scored in 128 games in all competitions since she joined the Cityzens back in 2020. It's worth noting that when the club failed to get over the line in the 2023-24 WSL title race, Shaw's absence through injury was a big reason they didn't. That's without even digging into all the other work the 29-year-old does for this team off the ball, defensively and in the attacking build-up.

To lose her to a league rival would be even more devastating. City have underwhelmed in the WSL in recent times, as evidenced by their 10-year wait for a second title, but have made significant progress this term when it comes to making up that ground. To see Shaw leave to join Chelsea, though, and especially if it is down to investment lagging behind their rivals, would raise serious questions about the team's ability to kick on from here. Fortunately for City, the signs now are that won't be the case.

For Chelsea, on the other hand, getting a deal done for a player like Shaw would be massive. The Blues have lacked a clinical touch in the final third this season, with no team in the WSL underperforming more in front of goal. The London club have scored 29 times despite an expected goals statistic of 33.77. Third-from-bottom West Ham are next on that list, albeit with a negative differential of 2.66, compared to Chelsea’s 4.77.

The Blues have a lot of forwards out of contract this summer, too, and so it is no surprise that they appear to be in the market for a striker. Sam Kerr, Catarina Macario and Aggie Beever-Jones are all into the final few months of their Chelsea deals, with Macario certainly looking the most likely to leave given that, when fit, she hasn't had the regular role one might've expected this season. There's also a lot of interest in the United States star, with a move to the U.S. appearing the most likely.

If Shaw does renew with Man City, though, Chelsea will need to turn their attentions elsewhere, with rumours of potential new targets sure to emerge as this summer's transfer window gets closer.