Arsenal make statement and agree world record transfer deal with Liverpool for Olivia Smith

Arsenal are set to become the first club in women’s football history to spend £1m on a female star with Olivia Smith due to complete a move from Liverpool to North London

Arsenal are set to break the world transfer record by making Liverpool’s Olivia Smith the first ever £1m female footballer. The Gunners have already had a bid accepted for the 20-year-old, with a move subject to a medical and personal terms being agreed.

The deal signals a historic moment for the women’s game, with Smith set to become the first-ever women’s footballer to surpass the £1m transfer fee mark. Should the move go through, it would see Arsenal surpass the £900k that WSL rivals Chelsea paid to sign Naomi Girma from San Diego Wave in January.

Smith only joined Liverpool last summer for a then club record £200k from Portuguese side Sporting Lisbon last summer. The Canadian went on to score seven goals in 20 WSL appearances across her debut campaign.

She still has a number of years left on her contract, as per the BBC, but Liverpool view her sale as a major opportunity to strengthen their squad with the fee.

Smith is just the latest big-money move that Arsenal have made amid a summer transfer splurge. They have also signed Chloe Kelly on a free transfer from Manchester City, as well as Liverpool defender Taylor Hinds.

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That move comes after former England international Jill Scott had predicted a club to surpass the £1m mark some time soon. Speaking to Sky Sports, she said: “If you look at where it’s at now and you look back 10 to 15 years, teams weren’t even professional. If you look at the crowds, we’ve got 50,000 going to some WSL games, whereas 10 to 15 years ago that might have been 200 people.

“When I look at that and look at these other ceilings, it feels like we can smash through anything, should it be a £1m transfer next season – but I think we’ve just got to be careful that we don’t go too quickly because we have to make sure that everything is sustainable and we’re doing everything correctly.”

Arsenal will be hoping that their considerable outlay will help them to cut the gap to Chelsea at the top of the WSL. Sonia Bompastor’s side won the league by 12 points having gone the entire season unbeaten.

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Renee Slegers is currently in charge of Arsenal Women having taken the reins from Jonas Eidevall in January after previously acting as assistant manager. And despite a tricky first season in the WSL, Slegers managed to lead Arsenal to the Champions League title as the North London side beat Barcelona in the final.

Amid their heavy spending, Arsenal now have to wait just a matter of weeks to find out their fixtures for the 2025/26 campaign. Next season’s fixtures are set to be announced on Friday, July 25.

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