Luke Shaw arrived at Manchester United from Southampton for around £30M with add-ons and signed a long-term contract with the club at the age of 18.
The England international endured a difficult stint at Old Trafford due to several injuries, poor form during long stretches of the season, and constant managerial changes.
Despite all the setbacks, the 31-year-old has racked up more than 300 appearances for the club, and usually considered the first-choice left-back (when available) for the past 12 seasons.
Now in the final year of his contract with Manchester United, it seems that his time at Old Trafford is coming to an end, as there are no talks about a contract extension between him and the club.
At Manchester United, Luke Shaw has won two EFL Cups, the FA Cup and the FA Community Shield, and the UEFA Europa League, making him one of the most successful left-backs at the club post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
This term under boss Michael Carrick, his game time has also been reduced, as he has only made 5 appearances so far in all competitions, and he is yet to feature in the UEFA Champions League for the Red Devils.
So last season being a World Cup year, Luke Shaw was magically fit and played every single Premier League game, I mean all 38 league games. But this season the mysterious injuries are back? I prefer not to speak.
— UF (@UtdFaithfuls) November 7, 2026
According to Fabrizio Romano (via Yahoo Sports), Luke Shaw is expected to leave Manchester United at the end of the season as a free agent after the conclusion of his contract, as he will not be part of the club’s plans.
Luke Shaw is one of the highest earners at the club, with a yearly salary of approximately £10M, and his departure will allow the club to take off his hefty wages from the books.
It has been suggested that several players are expected to be sold in the upcoming transfer windows to make way for new arrivals to strengthen the team, and manager Michael Carrick could also depart the club, as per Team Talk.
🚨 BREAKING: Luke Shaw is expected to LEAVE Manchester United in the summer. United have already started thinking about the possibility of parting ways with him at the end of the season. #MUFC [@FabrizioRomano] https://t.co/AhmjMQXX77
— mufcmpb (@mufcMPB) November 6, 2026
During the summer transfer window, Manchester United focused on strengthening their engine room and signed Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa, Andrey Santos from Chelsea, and Carlos Baleba from Brighton, but did not invest in a new left-back.
Currently, 18-year-old Harry Amass is the only natural left-back behind Luke Shaw, while right-back Diogo Dalot and centre-back Ayden Heaven have featured on the left side of the defence in some matches under Michael Carrick.
In case Luke Shaw leaves Manchester United, they will need to sign two new left-backs, and with the growing frustration surrounding the recruitment strategy, it could become a messy situation very quickly.
Manchester United are languishing around the bottom of the Premier League table, and have only registered one win in 9 league games, which came against newly promoted side Ipswich Town in August.
The Red Devils have prepared a shortlist of potential left-backs as Luke Shaw’s replacement, which features Newcastle United star Lewis Hall and Barcelona outcast Alejandro Balde.
Luke Shaw has previously been linked with a move to Italian outfit Napoli, while Saudi clubs have also shown interest in signing him in the past few seasons. At the age of 31, he could still be a reliable option for clubs in Europe, but which teams are keen to take him on is still unclear.
