Arsenal Break Women's ‘World-Record’ Transfer Fee for 20-Year-Old Canadian Star | OneFootball

Posing in one of her early football photos alongside all-time international goal-scoring leader Christine Sinclair, Olivia Smith might never have thought that she, too, would become a world-record maker.

Yet, the Canadian forward is set to become a world-record transfer, The Guardian reported, as Arsenal prepare to spend the first £1 million (US $1.4 million) fee in women’s football to bring in the 20-year-old from Liverpool ahead of the new Barclays Women’s Super League Season.

“When I was younger, women’s soccer wasn’t even broadcast as much, and I would be going on YouTube to watch videos of my idols, Christine Sinclair, and Marta,” she told Canadian Soccer Daily in 2024. “To even think about playing pro anywhere or being a part of the national team felt like a reach.”

Smith’s rise in recent years has been fast, but somewhat expected after she made her senior international debut at just 15 years old, after previously debuting with the U-17s as a 12-year-old.

After just one college season with Penn State, she opted to sign professionally with Portugal’s Sporting CP, and thrived in her first pro season, scoring 13 goals in 18 games.

“I only went to university to play football,” Smith told The Athletic, having suffered an injury in her first season, but previously scoring 18 goals in 11 League1 Ontario games with the North Toronto Nitros, the top level of semipro women’s soccer in Canada “So the fact I couldn’t....It’s a miracle that someone saw me within those couple of games.”

With her success in Portugal, Liverpool stepped up to pay just over £200,000 (US $270,200) ahead of the 2024-25 WSL season, bringing her to one of the top leagues in the women’s game.

Starting as a 19-year-old, she quickly carved herself a role as a physical and technical striker who can also play on the wing, scoring seven goals in 20 games for the Merseyside club, helping them to seventh in the WSL table.

Now, she is set to eclipse the £900,000 move that Chelsea made for Naomi Girma from the San Diego Wave earlier in 2025, as Arsenal prepare to spend a record fee and take on the remaining years of her current contract.

Smith Seeking More Success in Second WSL season

Olivia Smith will become the first Canadian forward to play for Arsenal since Cloé Lacasse in 2023-24. / Imagn

At Arsenal, Smith will look to establish herself quickly on the attacking line and help them defend their UEFA Women’s Champions League title while also improving on their second place in the WSL. According to reports, the North London club also fought off as many as eight other bids for the Canadian talent as well.

However, she will undoubtedly be prepared for more physical play after she was targeted by defenders throughout the season, suffering several minor injuries that forced her out of games.

“It’s frustrating (being targeted), but I kind of enjoy it,” she told The Athletic. “I know that sounds absolutely insane. But knowing that what’s on a defender’s mind is just stopping me is nice. And it opens up opportunities for everyone else. In open play, we don’t create as many opportunities as we should. That I can do that is important.”

Although financial details of the move are unknown, FIFA reported last March that the annual salary for women’s professional players is only US $10,900, with Tier 1 players, including the WSL and American NWSL, earning an average gross average wage of over US $50,000, with the highest of those salaries approximately US $120,000.

With Canada, Smith has three goals and three assists in 18 senior caps and is a key piece in the preparation for the 2027 FIFA World Cup under newly appointed head coach and former England international, Casey Stoney.

“It’s been a quick rise. She’s had a magnificent season. She’s exploded onto the scene. Sometimes it can take time, and it hasn’t with her. She’s had a great season for Liverpool. She’s been direct; she’s caused other teams problems,” Stoney said of Smith, who won Canada Soccer’s Young Player of the Year Award in 2019 and 2024.

“Next season, people are gonna be more aware of her...now, they’re gonna know exactly what talent she’s got, what she brings to the game, so she’s gonna have to solve problems in a different way.”

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