Arsenal pays world record £1m fee for Olivia Smith: 46 years later than men!

The landscape of women's football transfers has been irrevocably altered with the confirmation that Canadian sensation Olivia Smith has moved to Arsenal from Liverpool in a world-record £1 million deal. This historic transfer not only shatters previous benchmarks but also solidifies the escalating investment and growing financial power within the women's game. It should be pointed out that Trevor Francis became the first £1m men's player when he joined Nottingham Forest 46 years ago.

Smith, a versatile forward who only turned professional in 2023, arrived at Liverpool a year ago from Portuguese side Sporting for a then-club record fee of just over £200,000. Her rapid ascent saw her score seven goals in 20 Women's Super League games in her debut season, quickly establishing herself as one of the WSL's most exciting young talents. Smith's move breaks the record set by Chelsea in January when they signed USA defender Naomi Girma for £900,000 from San Diego Wave.

Arsenal, fresh off their Women's Champions League triumph, had vowed to strengthen their squad, and Smith's acquisition is a clear statement of intent. Head coach Renee Slegers hailed Smith as an "exciting young player" who is set to make a "big contribution" to the team's ambitions for major titles in England and Europe.

Liverpool, currently without a manager since Matt Beard's sacking in February, will view this transfer as astute business despite losing one of the world's brightest young stars. They have made a significant profit of nearly £800,000 from Smith's sale. The £1 million payment will be made in installments, providing Liverpool with crucial funds to reinvest gradually across various areas of their squad. The deal also includes a sell-on clause, ensuring Liverpool benefits from any future transfer of the Canadian international.