Manchester City Women are preparing for a transformative summer following the expected departure of Khadija “Bunny” Shaw and the confirmed retirement of midfielder Laura Coombs.
Shaw is expected to leave City when her contract expires, despite playing a central role in delivering the club’s first Women’s Super League title in ten years. Talks over a new deal have been ongoing for several months, but discussions have failed to reach an agreement, with Shaw now understood to be keen to explore alternative options at the peak of her career.
Since joining Bordeaux in 2021, Shaw has scored 110 goals in 133 appearances across all competitions. This season, she has recorded 19 goals in 21 WSL matches and is set to claim a third consecutive Golden Boot. Her importance to City extends beyond finishing, as she functions as the focal point for pressing, hold-up play and attacking structure.
Chelsea is considered a strong contender for her signature, with interest from clubs in Spain and the United States as well. The city is understood to have been unable to compete with the financial scale of rival offers.
Alongside Shaw’s likely exit, Laura Coombs will retire at the end of the season, aged 35. Coombs joined City in 2019 and went on to make 147 appearances, scoring 27 goals. She played a key role as a box-to-box midfielder and was widely valued for her professionalism and tactical intelligence.
Coombs earned seven England caps and returned to the international fold in 2023 after an eight-year absence, later being part of squads that reached the World Cup final and won the Finalissima and Arnold Clark Cup.
City managing director Charlotte O’Neill described Coombs as a “cultural architect and heartbeat” of the club. With both Shaw and Coombs departing, City face a rebuild that affects both attacking identity and midfield leadership.
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