Canada star Olivia Smith in action for Liverpool against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium last season [Neil Holmes/SPP]

HISTORIC. Seismic. Game-changing.

Just some of the words that greeted the headlines yesterday (Thursday) when Arsenal announced the first £1m transfer in women’s football.

Of course, Canada forward Olivia Smith had no say in the price tag that had been put on her head. No footballer ever does. She just wants to “put on a show” for the fans and help her new club win as many trophies as possible.

But in swapping Liverpool for north London, there can be no escaping this landmark moment that has seen the 20-year-old become the most expensive signing in women’s football history. For now, at least.

Officially, Smith’s fee is undisclosed but it’s widely reported that the £900,000 that Chelsea paid San Diego Wave for Naomi Girma in January is now old news.

The seven-figure glass ceiling has been well and truly smashed.

It’s a transfer that will naturally draw comparisons to Trevor Francis, who became Britain’s first £1m male footballer in 1979 when he moved from Birmingham City to Nottingham Forest.

Fast-forward to 2025, and already this summer we have seen men’s teams commit £70m, £80m and even over £100m on a player.

It’s hardly a great look for the so-called beautiful game, especially during a cost of living crisis.

Whether the women’s game can now escape the disconnect that exists between players and supporters in the men’s game as more and more money floods in remains to be seen.

For Smith’s part, she’s clearly a talented young player who wants to do her talking on the pitch.

“I’m super excited,” she told the official Arsenal website after donning her new number 15 jersey. “I love to put on a show for our fans, especially technically, the flair. I think everyone loves that, and I think that makes the game really exciting.

“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.”

From the Gunners point of view, Smith’s arrival represents the kind of powerplay the newly-crowned champions of Europe should be making.

They’ve signed one of the most exciting young stars in the sport – a player who made her international debut at the age of just 15, and who has won countless individual accolades in her homeland of Canada, and Portugal – and on Merseyside, where she was voted Liverpool’s Player of the Season last term after scoring nine goals in 25 appearances.

Welcoming the historic signing, head coach Renee Slegers said: “Olivia is an exciting young player and we believe she can make a big contribution here at Arsenal. We’ve been impressed by her mentality and character, excelling in two European leagues at such a young age. I know she has a level of ambition that matches our own, and we’re looking forward to working with her as she continues to grow at the club.”