Liverpool have accepted a world record bid of over £1 million from Arsenal for Canadian forward Olivia Smith, Afrosport reports.
The deal is still subject to medical and personal terms, and once formalised, it will eclipse the £900,000 that rivals Chelsea paid for United States defender Naomi Girma, of Ethiopian heritage, from NSWL outfit San Diego Wave in January.
Smith joined Liverpool from Sporting Lisbon last summer and scored seven times in 20 appearances in the Women’s Super League, with the Reds finishing seventh in the standings.
The sale of the 20-year-old is seen as a chance for the Merseyside outfit to strengthen the squad. The team has been without a manager since Matt Beard was dismissed in February.
Current Manchester City boss Gareth Taylor is tipped to be the favoured option to lead the team for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
Meanwhile, Arsenal finished second in the WSL last term, 12 points behind champions Chelsea, but capped their season by defeating Spanish heavyweights Barcelona in the final of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Smith’s addition will add more firepower to the Gunners’ attack that already includes the likes of Alessia Russo, Chloe Kelly, Katie McCabe, Stina Blackstenius, Caitlin Foord and Beth Mead.
