Khadija Shaw joined Manchester City from Bordeaux in 2021. Chelsea are favourites to sign striker Khadija Shaw on a free contract as an exit from Manchester City nears this summer.

Talks have stalled over a contract renewal and it will be a significant blow for the club to lose their top scorer. News of her imminent departure dropped just hours after City were crowned Women's Super League champions for the first time in a decade.

Despite positive negotiations with Shaw at the start of the year and initial confidence from the club that a deal would be agreed, frustrations have grown. Chelsea, who won six titles in a row before City's recent success, are understood to have made the 29-year-old Jamaica international their priority target in the summer.

City manager Andree Jeglertz said in April he hoped Shaw would extend her contract, which expires in June, but disagreement over the length of a new deal is believed to have been the sticking point. Chelsea are understood to have offered at least one extra year on a contract than City were willing to sign up to.

Shaw initially had no wish to leave and had hoped to retire at City but the breakdown in negotiations led to her exploring other options. She has been the club's top goalscorer for the past four seasons and is set to win a third successive WSL Golden Boot after scoring 19 goals in 21 appearances, with one league game remaining.

Manchester City declined to comment when approached by BBC Sport.

Inside Man City's WSL title-winning season Unmasking the coach who led Man City to WSL title glory 'Ambition, quality & hunger' key to title triumph - Jeglertz.

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.

Get the latest WSL news on our dedicated page.