Olivia Smith says she is targeting continued success with Arsenal after completing her record £1 million transfer from Women’s Super League rivals Liverpool, Afrosport reports.
The 20-year-old’s fee made it the first time a transfer in women’s football reached the million mark, eclipsing the previous world record of £900,00 when Chelsea signed American defender of Ethiopian heritage, Noami Girma, from NWSL outfit San Diego Wave in January.
Smith, who is of Jamaican heritage, joins the Gunners off the back of winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League last season when they defeated Barcelona 1-0 in Lisbon, and is looking forward to playing with some of the experienced players in the team.
“Unreal. This is a dream of mine, and for them to have a record like this is amazing, and I want to continue that record with this team,” she said in her first interview.
“It’s been a dream of mine for a while now, and I think I’ve mentioned that quite a few times before, so I’m really happy to be a part of that.
“Honestly, even just playing against these top players, I’d have to say, to have Leah to be playing balls in behind, to have Alessia up top. Chloe, even McCabe, even though we had our duels – I think that’s just going to be a really fun connection there.
“I was at Florida State with Jenna only for about six months. She was my mentor there. So, to have another familiar face as well as Taylor, is really nice.”
The latest addition to the Arsenal family ❤️
Olivia Smith is a Gunner ✍️ pic.twitter.com/9tDKSMcfxf
— Arsenal Women (@ArsenalWFC) July 17, 2025
The Canada international added: “I’m really looking forward to it [playing at the Emirates Stadium]. Being on the opposition side, it’s a nightmare, I can tell you that. The atmosphere is amazing, so to have that behind us now and behind me to make a debut there is going to be unreal.
“I’m super excited. I love to put on a show for our fans, especially just technically, the flair. I think everyone loves that, and I think that makes the game really exciting. So, I think that’s what they’re all looking forward to as well.
“I just really want to contribute to the team with wins. I want to go to the Champions League and win that. Win the cups. And then as a person, I just want to grow, meet new people, learn new things, and that’s the biggest thing for me. I just want to continue to grow as a person here.”
The 2025-26 WSL season will commence on September 6 and run until May 17.
