Arsenal have completed the signing of Canadian forward Olivia Smith from Liverpool for a record £1 million, making the 20-year-old the most expensive player in women’s football history.
Smith, who made her senior international debut for Canada at just 15, has signed a four-year deal with the UEFA Women’s Champions League holders.
Her move surpasses the previous record set by Chelsea in January, when they signed U.S. defender Naomi Girma for £900,000 from San Diego Wave.
Calling the move to Arsenal “a privilege,” Smith said:
“It’s my dream to compete for the biggest titles here in England and in Europe. I’m excited to get started and contribute to doing that here with Arsenal.”
Arsenal had long held interest in the forward and finally landed her after Liverpool managing director Andy O’Boyle rejected several offers before accepting the £1 million bid.
Smith joined Liverpool last summer from Portuguese side Sporting CP in a club-record transfer worth just over £200,000.
In her debut Women’s Super League (WSL) season, she scored seven goals in 20 appearances, helping Liverpool to a seventh-place finish.
Her football journey began at the age of five with Whitby Iroquois SC in Ontario.
She entered Canada’s youth national program at 12 and was propelled onto the senior stage in 2019, featuring in matches against Brazil and New Zealand at an invitational tournament in China.
Smith has since represented Canada at two Concacaf U20 Championships (2022, 2023) and two FIFA U20 World Cups (2022, 2024).
She returned to the senior national team in 2023 and was part of the squad at the Women’s World Cup.
In 2024, she scored her first senior international goal in a 6–0 win over El Salvador at the Concacaf Gold Cup, where she was named Best Young Player of the tournament.
At club level, Smith made her professional debut in 2022 with North Toronto Nitros in League1 Ontario, where she won the golden boot with 18 goals in 11 matches.
She then joined Sporting CP, where she made an immediate impact—registering 13 goals and 9 assists in just 18 league appearances during her first season, earning another Best Young Player award as Sporting finished second in the league.
Now, at Arsenal, Smith steps into the spotlight as a marquee signing with the ambition of lifting both domestic and European silverware.
