‘FSG in financial masterstroke at Liverpool’ after world-record announcement
FSG continues to prove their financial commitment to Liverpool after a world-record announcement.
The Liverpool owners have been criticised in recent times for their hesitation to invest in the club, particularly where signings were concerned.
However, fans have been blown away by their approach these past few months. The Reds confirmed the signing of Florian Wirtz for a total package of £116million last month, while Jeremie Frimpong joins his former Bayer Leverkusen teammate at Anfield.
But FSG have been as committed to earning funds as they have been to spending them and have just pulled off one of the greatest financial masterstrokes in football.
Arsenal sign Olivia Smith for record-breaking fee
Arsenal Women have confirmed the signing of Olivia Smith from Liverpool Women.
The Canadian international becomes the first-ever women’s player to surpass the seven-figure barrier, which outclasses the £900,000 Chelsea spent on Naomi Girma in January.
Liverpool paid a club record of £210,000 to sign the striker from Sporting Lisbon last summer, which means they have profited just under £800,000 from the transfer.
After netting seven of the 22 goals the Reds scored last season, Arsenal have not only acquired a future great, but FSG have pulled off the ultimate act of financial genius.
Smith’s transfer makes a statement in women’s football
The financial investment in women’s football has skyrocketed in recent years, with Smith’s transfer made possible by all those who came before.
Pernille Harder set things in motion when she signed for Chelsea Women from Wolfsburg Women for more than £250,000 ahead of their 2020/21 campaign. Barcelona outdid this when they paid £400,000 to sign Keira Walsh from Manchester City in 2022.
Last year was a prime season for record transfers in women’s football. Mayra Ramirez joined Chelsea from Levante for £426,000 while Racheal Kundananji transferred to Bay FC for £685,000 from Madrid CFF. Meanwhile, Orlando Pride signed Barbara Banda for £581,000 from Shanghai Shengli.
| Player | Club | Year | Transfer Fee |
| Pernille Harder | Chelsea | 2020 | £250,000+ |
| Keira Walsh | Barcelona | 2022 | £400,000 |
| Mayra Ramirez | Chelsea | 2024 | £426,000 |
| Racheal Kundananji | Bay FC | 2024 | £685,000 |
| Barbra Banda | Shanghai Shengli | 2024 | £581,000 |
| Naomi Girma | Chelsea | 2025 | £900,000 |
| Olivia Smith | Arsenal | 2025 | £1m |
This was followed by Girma in 2025, which Smith has now surpassed.
The amount spent on the former Liverpool striker’s transfer makes an undeniable statement that the women’s game is not just working towards progress, but has already embodied it in its truest form.
But the transfers of the last five years demonstrate that this moment has been building for a long time. It sets a precedent, but more importantly, has broken a discreet but entirely real barrier in the women’s game.
The transfer of Smith has set a world record, but once the initial shock passes by and the dust settles, like how she did to those before, another will take the mantle from her. And the milestones in women’s football will continue to build, until £1m will seem like a minuscule sum.
But for now, Smith’s transfer has not only set a record but has taken another step forward in redefining the financial aspect of women’s football, with FSG at the centre of this.
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