Olivia Smith joins Arsenal from Liverpool for world record transfer fee
Liverpool FC confirmed on Thursday that Canadian attacker Olivia Smith has joined its Women’s Super League rival Arsenal in what is reported to be a record-breaking transfer.
As per the Guardian, the transfer fee for the 20-year-old striker is one million pounds, the most ever paid for a women’s footballer.
The previous highest women’s football transfer fee was the 900,000 pounds paid by Chelsea for American defender Naomi Girma earlier this year.
“It’s a privilege and an honour to sign for Arsenal,” said Smith. “It’s my dream to compete for the biggest titles here in England and in Europe and I’m excited to get started and contribute to doing that here with Arsenal. The atmosphere the supporters create at Emirates Stadium is incredible and I can’t wait to have that behind me now.”
Smith joined Liverpool from Sporting Clube (Portugal) in July 2024, and scored nine goals in 25 appearances in all competitions for the Merseyside club last season.
She was also voted Liverpool’s Player of the Season and received a nomination for the Women’s Super League Rising Star award.
“Olivia is an exciting young player and we believe she can make a big contribution here at Arsenal. We’ve been impressed by her mentality and character, excelling in two European leagues at such a young age. I know she has a level of ambition that matches our own and we’re looking forward to working with her as she continues to grow at the club,” Arsenal head coach Renee Slegers added.
At the international level, Smith became Canada’s youngest-ever player when she won her first cap at the age of 15 in 2019. She has represented her country at the 2023 FIFA World Cup and the 2024 CONCACAF Gold Cup, where she was named Best Young Player.
