# When City’s Bold Move Shows What United Women Must Learn

Let’s talk about what ambition actually looks like, Reds. Manchester City Women just redefined the game by restructuring their entire wage model to make Bunny Shaw one of the highest-paid female footballers on the planet. That’s not just bold, that’s a statement of intent that echoes far beyond the blue half of Manchester.

Here’s the thing: while our men’s side under Michael Carrick is flying after securing third place and Champions League football for 2026-27, we need to ask ourselves whether United Women are showing the same ruthless ambition. City didn’t just offer Shaw more money, they rebuilt their financial architecture around her. They smashed conventional thinking because they knew what elite talent demands in the modern era.

This isn’t about envying what the neighbours are doing. It’s about recognising that football, whether men’s or women’s, requires courage at boardroom level. INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have shown they’re willing to back winners on the men’s side. Carrick’s appointment after that brilliant interim spell proved we’re building something special again. But are we matching that ambition across our entire club?

The women’s game is exploding globally, and Manchester United Women should be leading that charge, not following City’s blueprint. We’re the biggest club in the world. Our badge carries weight that no amount of oil money can manufacture. Yet when it comes to making those game-changing moves, City keep showing the bottle while we’re left watching.

Shaw’s deal proves that calculated risk-taking wins trophies. Carrick knows that better than anyone after his playing days alongside legends. Now the question is whether United’s decision-makers at every level are prepared to match that same hunger. Because while City are rewriting the rules, we should be the ones setting them. That’s what Manchester United does. That’s who we are.

✍️ This summary was written by the MUFC Fanatics SA team based on reporting from Sky Sports.

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