Arsenal to smash women’s transfer record with £1m deal for Liverpool’s Olivia Smith
Arsenal are on the brink of completing a historic transfer, with 20-year-old Canadian forward Olivia Smith set to become the world’s most expensive female footballer in a £1 million move from Liverpool.
The north London club have reportedly had a world-record bid accepted by Liverpool, surpassing the previous record of $1.1 million paid by Chelsea for US centre-back Naomi Girma in January.
Smith, who only joined Liverpool last summer from Sporting for just over £200,000, scored seven goals in 20 Women’s Super League (WSL) appearances in her debut campaign, nearly a third of Liverpool’s total goals.
A versatile attacker capable of playing on the wing or centrally, Smith still has multiple years left on her contract.
However, Arsenal’s sizeable offer convinced Liverpool to cash in, with the Reds set to receive five times what they initially paid for her, per The Guardian.
The move is part of Arsenal’s aggressive summer strategy to bolster their Champions League-winning squad.
The Gunners have already secured free transfers for Chloe Kelly from Manchester City and Taylor Hinds from Liverpool, but the Smith deal marks a major financial investment to be competitive both domestically and in Europe.
