This post was originally published on this site.
Getty ImagesManchester City striker Khadija Shaw has won the Football Writers’ Association Women’s Footballer of the Year award.
Shaw is set to secure a third successive Women’s Super League Golden Boot after scoring 19 goals in 21 appearances, with one league game remaining for newly crowned champions City.
The 29-year-old, who joined City in 2021, is just one goal away from becoming the first player in WSL history to score 20 or more goals in three different seasons.
It is the second time the Jamaica international has won the FWA award, having first done so for the 2023–24 season.
Shaw looks set to leave City this summer after talks stalled over a new contract.
Chelsea, who won six titles in a row before City’s recent success, are favourites to sign Shaw, who previously had no desire to leave the club.
But a breakdown in communications led to her exploring other options and Chelsea are understood to have offered at least one more year on a contract than City were willing to agree to.
Reports suggest Chelsea are ready to pay Shaw up to £1m a year and while boss Sonia Bompastor gave no hint as to whether Shaw’s future lying with the club, she admitted in a news conference on Thursday that signing a number nine is high on the Blues’ priority list.
Speaking on Friday, City manager Andree Jeglertz said: “I still hope she’s signing a new contract with Manchester City, definitely, but that’s more of a discussion for the player and for people at the club.
“Right now, the most important thing is to enjoy our player, and she’s here to compete with us, and do everything she can.”
City face Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals on Sunday (15:30 BST), with the winner playing either Liverpool or Brighton at Wembley on 31 May.
Analysis – does more global recognition beckon?
Shaw’s goalscoring exploits have made her one of the best strikers in the world and it is no surprise clubs are circling for her signature in the summer.
With her contract expiring, she looks set to depart City after a breakdown in renewal negotiations and Chelsea are favourites to sign her on a free transfer.
It would be a significant blow for City to lose their star striker – a player who has on many occasions been their match-winner and someone who strikes fear into the opposition.
In previous campaigns, when injury struck Shaw, City’s title challenges collapsed, in contrast to this season when she has started all 21 of their WSL matches.
Among some of the highlights were her impressive hat-trick at home to Tottenham in March, and a ruthless four-goal haul against Aston Villa in December.
Team-mate Sam Coffey described Shaw as “a player in a video game” because of the ease with which she dominates defenders and scores goals.
If she can go on to showcase her talents in the Women’s Champions League next season, Shaw’s achievements are likely to be recognised on a more global scale, having been overlooked in the Ballon d’Or awards previously.
Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women’s Football Weekly podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women’s Super League and beyond on the Women’s Football Weekly feed
