Manchester City pulled off a surprise U-turn by making Women‘s Super League (WSL) Golden Boot striker Khadija “Bunny” Shaw one of the highest paid players in the world, according to sources, just weeks after she was heavily linked with a move away on a free transfer.
The negotiations for a new four-year deal happened just 24 hours before Shaw announced to fans during the club’s title celebration — in conjunction with the men’s cup victories — that she was staying at City.
“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,” she said on Monday.
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It had always been her preference to remain at City and she was close to signing a new deal in March. However, negotiations stalled, and sources told ESPN that a low-ball initial offer failed to compete with competitive offers coming from across the globe.
Chelsea emerged as a front runner with sources admitting the former WSL champions had tabled a £1 million annual salary and a longer contract length.
Though City won the WSL for the first time in a decade — Shaw’s 21 goals played a vital role — it appeared as if the Jamaica international would depart on a free transfer with City unable to conjure a competitive offer. Sources added that the Manchester club began looking at alternative options after negotiations ended.
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However, in the days after winning the league, sources told ESPN that City had a remarkable U-turn on their decision, panicking after the backlash from across women’s football when the news of Shaw’s expected departure broke, forcing the club to reconsider and adapt their wage structure to match Chelsea’s terms, something they had been unwilling to do previously.
Both external and internal pressure played a role, sources said, and City met with Shaw personally — she had been going through agents before this — to agree a new long-term deal with City agreeing to make Shaw one of the highest paid players.
Sources have told ESPN that Trinity Rodman’s annual salary that is over $2m (£1.5m), including bonuses, is regarded as the highest in the world, though Shaw’s offer would surpass Catarina Macario’s $8m cumulative fee over five years at San Diego, sources said. Another source said that Aitana Bonmatí is the highest paid player in the world, though this could not be verified.
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Either way, sources said that City readjusted their expectations to treble their initial offer to reflect that Shaw is one of the best players in the world and arguably one of the most inform and consistent strikers, claiming a third consecutive Golden Boot award this season. She has 117 goals and 28 assists in just 137 appearances for City.
Sources told ESPN that Shaw remained loyal to City and did not want to leave the club having found a home in Manchester over the last five years.
City director of football Therese Sjogran added: “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.
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“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.
“I’d like to thank her for that continued faith in what we’re hoping to achieve.”
