Liverpool Accept Record £1m Offer for Olivia Smith from Arsenal
Arsenal have agreed to a fee exceeding £1m with Liverpool for the transfer of Canadian forward Olivia Smith, CuriosityNews has learned. The deal marks the first time in women’s football that a transfer has surpassed the £1m threshold, a milestone first achieved in men’s football in 1979 when Trevor Francis moved to Nottingham Forest from Birmingham City.
Reports indicate the agreed-upon fee surpasses the previous women’s record of $1.1m, set when Chelsea signed US defender Naomi Girma earlier this year.
Smith scored seven goals in 20 Women’s Super League appearances during her debut season with Liverpool, who finished seventh in the league. Her contributions accounted for nearly a third of the team’s total league goals.
The 20-year-old, capable of playing as a winger or central striker, joined Liverpool in July 2024 from Portugal’s Sporting for a club-record fee slightly above £200,000. With several years still remaining on her Liverpool contract, Arsenal have committed a significant sum to finalize the transfer.
Liverpool reportedly turned down multiple previous offers for Smith before agreeing to Arsenal’s bid, which is five times the amount they paid for her a year ago.
Arsenal are reinforcing their squad following their Women’s Champions League triumph. The club has already secured Chloe Kelly on a free transfer from Manchester City and signed left-back Taylor Hinds, also on a free, after her contract with Liverpool expired. However, the move for Smith represents a far larger financial commitment.
Before Girma’s transfer to Chelsea, Zambia’s Racheal Kundananji held the record when she moved from Madrid CFF to Bay FC in 2024 for a reported $860,000.
Read next
Andreeva's French Open victory highlights the impact of Martínez and women coaches
Conchita Martínez was describing her player’s journey to a maiden grand-slam title when Mirra Andreeva interrupted. Accompanied by officials and a staff member holding the Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen, the new French Open champion entered the room to cause mischief.
Andreeva asked, “What is the best thing about working with Mirra
Lewis Hamilton confident he is nearing first victory with Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton believes a victory for Ferrari is possible following his second-place finish at the Monaco Grand Prix. The seven-time champion is determined to pursue Kimi Antonelli, the current Formula One leader who secured another win in Monte Carlo.
Driving for Mercedes, Antonelli dominated the race, maintaining his lead through
Hodgkinson: Shock loss will fuel my pursuit of 800m world record this summer
In a dramatic event in Stockholm, Audrey Werro recorded the fastest 800m time seen since the Cold War era, defeating Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson. Werro finished in 1min 53.98sec, marking the third fastest time in history. She now trails only Jarmila Kratochvilova’s 1983 world record of 1:53.