Liverpool have accepted a world-record bid for women’s forward Olivia Smith, with the 20-year-old set to depart Merseyside after just one season.

Smith joined the Reds from Sporting CP for around £200,000 – a club-record fee – in July 2024 and went on to become arguably their most important player.

After Liverpool finished seventh in the Women’s Super League with manager Matt Beard sacked in February, it comes as no surprise that the Canadian has attracted interest.

But few may have expected a world-record bid from Arsenal worth upwards of £1 million, which according to the Guardian the club have now accepted.

If Smith makes the switch to Arsenal as anticipated, the fee will break the record for a single transfer in women’s football, set in January when United States centre-back Naomi Girma joined Chelsea for around £900,000.

The young winger made 20 appearances in her debut season in the Women’s Super League, scoring six times, and often found herself forced off through injury as opponents targeted her with fierce tackles.

It led manager Beard to make a number of complaints over the treatment of Liverpool’s No. 11, though it also served as a marker of how dangerous she is.

Smith could follow former Liverpool vice-captain Taylor Hinds to north London, with the 26-year-old joining Arsenal on a free transfer earlier this month.

Arsenal also secured another major signing in England international Chloe Kelly, who made the switch from Man City at the start of July after a loan spell.

Liverpool are considered close to appointing a new head coach in former Man City manager Gareth Taylor, but if he does join he could find himself without many of what he would have considered his best players.

Midfielder Fuka Nagano is also yet to agree a new contract after her previous deal expired on July 1, with Man United interested in a free transfer.

Captain Niamh Fahey announced her retirement at the end of the season while Liverpool released Yana Daniels, Jas Matthews and Teagan Micah.

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As Liverpool’s pre-season kicks into gear, plenty of players will be looking to impress Arne Slot ahead of the new Premier League campaign.

The Reds’ first friendly of the summer takes place at Preston on Sunday (3pm BST), which promises to be an emotional occasion after the tragic passing of Diogo Jota.

New signings such as Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez will be hoping to impress, while others also need to catch the eye.

Here are eight Liverpool players who have a point to prove this pre-season.

Giorgi Mamardashvili

Giorgi Mamardashvili has now arrived from Valencia, making it clear that he intends to push Alisson hard to be Liverpool’s first-choice goalkeeper.

“They are looking at me as the Liverpool goalkeeper for the next 10 years,” the Georgia international has said.

Mamardashvili has his work cut out when it comes to ousting Alisson, but healthy competition can only be a positive for Slot.

A strong pre-season will help keep Liverpool’s current No. 1 on his toes, not to mention showing that he can be his long-term successor.

Alisson only has two years remaining on his current Reds deal, and if he does leave next summer Mamardashvili will hopefully be primed to fill the void seamlessly.

Conor Bradley

The departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold led some to wonder if Conor Bradley would be Liverpool’s go-to right-back next season.

The arrival of Frimpong means that is no longer a guarantee, but that’s not to say that the Northern Irishman doesn’t have a huge role to play.

Bradley will know that Frimpong could take time to adjust to his new surroundings, so some convincing pre-season performances could lead to the former starting against Bournemouth next month.

It isn’t going to be easy for the 22-year-old to nail down a place in Slot’s strongest XI, but he is maturing rapidly as a player and has shown he is now a reliable option.

He should be using pre-season as an opportunity to showcase his talent.

Andy Robertson

By his world-class standards, Andy Robertson‘s form dipped last season, and the need for a younger left-back to come in became clear.

Kerkez has arrived and Robertson now faces one of the biggest challenges of his career.

While the Scot had considered a move to Atletico Madrid amid interest from the Spanish club, he now appears resolved to stay and fight for his place.

“I’m not getting any younger. I can’t change my age, but I still believe I’ve got a lot to give and that’s what I focus on,” Robertson said on Liverpool’s pursuit of Kerkez last month.

“I focus on myself – you can’t focus on other people or who you’re competing with.”

It would be just like Robertson to up his game and keep out the impressive Kerkez, but he will need to find an improved level in pre-season to do so.

Wataru Endo

Wataru Endo has earned his cult hero status, but the Japanese is still fighting to keep his place in Liverpool’s squad.

The midfielder has confirmed his plan to stay this summer, insisting he wouldn’t end his Reds career “just to go somewhere else,” showing that he is happy to remain a squad player.

Truthfully, it would be strange if Slot saw Endo as dispensible, with the Dutchman no doubt valuing his experience and team ethic.

That said, pre-season is an important period for the Japan captain, mainly in terms of proving that he has more to offer than he was afforded last season.

Dominik Szoboszlai

The signing of Wirtz is hugely significant for Liverpool, but Dominik Szoboszlai may have reacted differently than others to his arrival.

The German is at his best in the No. 10 position that Szoboszlai has taken up at Anfield, with the Hungarian still dividing opinion in the role.

His work rate is astonishing, but a lack of end product has been aimed at him, with six goals and assists apiece in the league last season far fewer than Wirtz’s tally of 10 and 12 respectively for Bayer Leverkusen.

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Slot may plan to use Szoboszlai more as a No. 8, which the midfielder sees as his best position, so it will be interesting to see the plan for him in pre-season.

Wherever he plays, though, he may need to produce an eye-catching summer to keep his place in the team as Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister seem surefire starters.

Harvey Elliott

It feels like Harvey Elliott‘s Liverpool career is nearing its end, with Slot unable to promise him regular football.

After a triumphant star turn for England’s U21s at the Euros this summer, there is plenty of interest in the 22-year-old.

If Liverpool don’t consider him an important player, cashing in on him would be the right call, but having one last look in pre-season makes sense.

Elliott is such a gifted footballer but he lacks the dynamism of the other midfielders, and Wirtz’s arrival further pushes him down the pecking order.

Slot’s decision may already be made up when it comes the boyhood Liverpool fan, but a statement pre-season would do him no harm.

Ben Doak

Ben Doak‘s future continues to be a key talking point at Liverpool, following a season out on loan at Middlesbrough.

The 19-year-old has even been linked with a shock move to Everton, but now is an opportunity for him to show that he can be a reliable squad player for the Reds.

Doak was working hard on his fitness before pre-season even got underway, following an injury-hit spell in 2025.

The jury is out on whether the winger has enough to make the grade at Liverpool, but now is the time for him to prove himself.

It is easy to envisage Liverpool accepting a bid for Doak, but equally, impressing in pre-season – both in games and in training – may persuade Slot to keep him on as a backup option to Mohamed Salah.

Jayden Danns

Much like Doak, injuries have hampered Jayden Danns, with a loan move to Sunderland ruined by a back issue that prevented him from playing a single minute.

Back at the AXA Training Centre, the young striker will look to capitalise on interest from elsewhere in Darwin Nunez, potentially becoming a squad player next season.

The heartbreaking passing of Jota is also a factor for Liverpool to contend with in attacking areas.

Danns is such a talented prospect, and it may be that another loan move is more suitable, but he has shown in the past that he can hold his own at first-team level.

Three goals in nine appearances for Liverpool are a testament to that, and it will be exciting to see what he can offer in the coming weeks.

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Liverpool have been mentioned as contenders to sign Real Madrid forward Rodrygo, while a new update on Luis Diaz‘s Reds future has emerged.

Today’s Main LFC Headline

Speculation is ongoing over Rodrygo leaving Madrid this summer, with Xabi Alonso dropping him for the Club World Cup semi-final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.

The Brazilian isn’t in the limelight as much as Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior, and may prefer the idea of being a star man elsewhere.

Links are now emerging to suggest that Rodrygo could be an option for Liverpool if they lose Diaz, with the Colombian’s future at Anfield unknown.

The 24-year-old is a long-standing target for the Reds, with the winger admitting he nearly joined them when he was 16.

At this stage, it’s worth stressing that it would be a surprise if the Reds signed Rodrygo, though, given his likely price tag and wages.

Much would depend on Diaz, too, and there’s more on him below…

Today’s Liverpool FC News

• Diaz‘s representatives have reportedly held more talks with Bayern Munich’s director of sport over a move. He is said to be keen on departing Liverpool!

• Liverpool have “lots of ideas” to honour Diogo Jota into the future, according to CEO Billy Hogan. But he says they will come “at the appropriate time.”

• Liverpool are awaiting a decision from Alexander Isak on his future at Newcastle, with his Reds mapping out their contingency plan in Hugo Ekitike.

• Having been unable to attend Jota’s funeral in Gondomar, Alisson and Diaz were present at his seventh-day mass.

More from This Is Anfield

Jack Lusby has written about the quality Jeremie Frimpong can add to Liverpool’s attack next season and beyond:

“Frimpong’s data is naturally skewed as he largely played as an attacking wing-back under Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, but he did so for good reason.

“He scored five goals and assisted a further six in 33 games in last season’s Bundesliga, with striker Patrick Schick (22) and fellow Liverpool signing Florian Wirtz (23) the only Leverkusen players with more goal involvements.

“No full-back managed more shots on target than Frimpong (16), who also ranked in the top five percent for overall shots (34).

“Frimpong created 30 chances for teammates in the Bundesliga in 2024/25.”

READ: Jeremie Frimpong can be Liverpool’s new secret weapon in attack

Elsewhere in the football world today

• Arsenal have confirmed the signing of midfielder Christian Norgaard, with the 31-year-old Dane arriving from Brentford

• Tottenham are said to have reached an agreement to sign Mohammed Kudus from West Ham for £54.5 million, with a medical expected today (Guardian)

• Speaking of Spurs, they are reportedly set to turn their focus to Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White. He could be a great signing! (David Ornstein, The Athletic)

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Liverpool are making progress in finding a new head coach for their women’s side, with an appointment expected for their ex-Man City “leading candidate.”

Liverpool Women have been without a permanent head coach since February, when the decision was made to relieve Matt Beard of his duties.

There has been considerable change since, not least with the retirement of captain Niamh Fahey and the departure of vice-captain Taylor Hinds to Arsenal, along with the release of three other players.

A lengthy process has been underway to recruit Beard’s successor, with interim head coach Amber Whiteley among those to apply for the position.

But according to BBC Sport‘s Emma Sanders the club are now in talks with former Man City manager Gareth Taylor to finalise his appointment.

Taylor has emerged as Liverpool’s “leading candidate” and they “have been in discussions with him to reach personal terms.”

The 52-year-old was in charge of Man City for just under five years until his sacking in March, leading the Manchester club to win the FA Cup in 2020 and the League Cup in 2022.

It is noted that not once in four full seasons under Taylor did Man City fail to finish in the top four of the Women’s Super League.

Formerly a player at Man City along with Bristol Rovers, Crystal Palace, Sheffield United, Burnley and Nottingham Forest among many others, he would bring invaluable experience to the position.

Liverpool have also advertised for a new head of recruitment at women’s level this summer, with it clear there is a desire to break into the elite group of clubs at the top end of the Women’s Super League.

Having returned to the top flight after two seasons away in 2022/23, the Reds have finished seventh, fourth and seventh respectively in their last three campaigns.

They did reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup in the season just gone under Beard and then Whiteley, but suffered a last-minute 2-1 defeat to eventual winners Chelsea.

Chelsea also won the league, League Cup and made it to the Champions League semi-finals.

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Luis Diaz‘s representatives are claimed to have held more talks with Bayern Munich‘s director of sport Max Eberl with the Liverpool winger open to a move.

Diaz’s situation is one of the more intriguing stories of the transfer window for Liverpool, with the No. 7 clearly a key player for Arne Slot but at an impasse over his contract.

It has been maintained that the club do not intend to hand the 28-year-old a new deal but they have also rejected approaches from both Barcelona and Bayern Munich over a transfer.

The perception is that Liverpool will position themselves to sell only if a significant offer lands, with Diaz making it clear he will consider his options.

To that end, Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg has claimed on X that the Colombian has communicated that “he is open to leaving Liverpool if a really exciting offer arrives.”

This follows similar claims from the Colombian press earlier in the week.

Plettenberg added that there have been “new talks” between Diaz’s camp and Bayern recruitment head Eberl, as the Bundesliga champions “remain keen.”

“There are still no agreements or offers,” the journalist emphasised. “It is complicated, but Bayern are trying.”

The matter is complicated not only by Liverpool’s desire to either hold onto Diaz or maximise his value, but also the tragic loss of Diogo Jota.

Clearly, the focus has been on honouring Jota, not least with sporting director Richard Hughes, assistant David Woodfine and FSG figureheads Michael Edwards and Julian Ward all attending the striker’s funeral last week.

But as Arne Slot and his squad report back for pre-season training this week, there will be a need to return to footballing matters at some stage.

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That could include conversations with Diaz over his future, though it should be noted that having arrived back on Merseyside earlier this week he was then granted leave to attend Jota’s seventh-day mass in Portugal on Wednesday.

As mentioned Bayern are not the only club interested in the Colombia international, with Barcelona understood to have also made his signing a priority.

Speaking earlier this week, Diaz addressed speculation around his future, saying: “We’re in the process of negotiations, talking with the club, with Liverpool, with everyone who’s approaching us.

“But I’m very calm where I am, you know, very happy. Trying to make the best decision, now.”

He added: “We’ll see what can happen, for us and for the club. We’ll try to do our best and make the best decision.”

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Liverpool have “lots of ideas” to honour Diogo Jota in the longer-term, but CEO Billy Hogan insists “it is early” and those will come “at the appropriate time.”

Jota’s tragic passing has understandably prompted an emotional response from those within the club and supporters around the world.

Thousands of tributes have been laid at sites outside both Anfield and Molineux, the home of the striker’s former club Wolves, with prominent figures from Liverpool paying their respects.

Among those to follow Arne Slot, Michael Edwards, Andy Robertson, Cody Gakpo and Jordan Henderson in laying flowers at Jota’s memorial along 97 Avenue was chief executive Hogan.

Speaking to the club’s official website after making his tribute on Wednesday, Hogan was asked about long-term plans to honour their former striker.

Many feel it is right to retire Jota’s No. 20 and there appears a recognition of that, though Liverpool will await “the appropriate time” to action any such proposals.

“It is early, it has obviously only been a few days. I think the most important thing in this process is that we want to make sure we are respecting the family,” Hogan explained.

“As a club, there’s been lots of ideas and certainly within the supporter base lots of ideas.

“That’s something we’ll take forward with the family and we want to have those conversations at the appropriate time.

“Obviously they have gone through an unimaginable situation over the course of the last several days.

“We certainly will, obviously, remember both Andre and Diogo and at the appropriate time we’ll make those plans clear.

“We’ve got the match on Sunday at Deepdale and we’ll of course remember them at that match.

“Then the tour, then we come back to Anfield and then the season starts, so we’re thinking about all of those moments.

“Of course, we want to make sure we do the right thing and appropriately remember both Andre and Diogo.”

The specifics of Liverpool and Preston’s tributes to Jota and his family – who also lost his brother Andre Silva in last week’s fatal car crash – on Sunday are as yet unknown.

But there will be a mindfulness towards those the brothers leave behind, including Jota’s new wife Rute and their three children.

“We’re going to do everything we possibly can to support each other and, most importantly, support Diogo and Andre’s family through this process,” Hogan continued.

At least three murals are in the works to honour Jota on streets around Anfield, with artists MurWalls already beginning their tribute with the help of fan messages at a site on Sybil Road, with a view of the Main Stand.

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Luis Diaz and Alisson were unable to attend Diogo Jota‘s funeral in his hometown of Gondomar, but the Liverpool duo were present at his seventh-day mass.

Diaz and Alisson were among those most notably absent from the Liverpool delegation at the funeral for Jota and his brother Andre Silva on Saturday.

The pair were unable to attend due to prior commitments, with the goalkeeper writing on Instagram “once again, an ocean separates me from ‘saying goodbye’ to someone I love” having also missed his father’s funeral in 2021.

But Portuguese newspaper Jornal de Noticias report that both made their way to Gondomar on Wednesday for the brothers’ seventh-day mass.

They were able to pay their respects among a number of other figures from world football, including Jota’s former Portugal teammates Diogo Costa, Jose Sa, Andre Horta and Joao Mario and agent Jorge Mendes.

Ruben Neves, considered one of Jota’s closest friends, was also in attendance having carried the 28-year-old’s coffin at the funeral.

The seventh-day mass came the day after players reported back to the AXA Training Centre for the start of Liverpool’s pre-season.

It is unknown if Alisson was among those in Kirkby for day one of testing, with it often the case that goalkeepers are run through early sessions separately, but Diaz travelled back to the UK from Colombia on Monday.

Cody Gakpo was among those to lay a tribute to Jota at his memorial along 97 Avenue outside Anfield’s Main Stand on Wednesday.

The Dutchman was at the late striker’s funeral and has joined the likes of Arne Slot, Andy Robertson and former captain Jordan Henderson in making a public gesture to their friend.

Liverpool will kick off their pre-season schedule with a friendly away to Preston on Sunday, with the two clubs agreeing for the warmup game to go ahead as planned after talks following Jota’s death.

Special tributes will be made to the No. 20 throughout the afternoon at Deepdale, which is due to be broadcast on ITV1 in the UK.

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Jeremie Frimpong was the first signing of Liverpool’s busy summer so far and as such his quality may go under the radar. So what can the new right-back provide?

With the help of our partners at FotMob, we look at what Jeremie Frimpong can offer to Liverpool.

Goals and assists

Frimpong’s data is naturally skewed as he largely played as an attacking wing-back under Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, but he did so for good reason.

He scored five goals and assisted a further six in 33 games in last season’s Bundesliga, with striker Patrick Schick (22) and fellow Liverpool signing Florian Wirtz (23) the only Leverkusen players with more goal involvements.

No full-back managed more shots on target than Frimpong (16), who also ranked in the top five percent for overall shots (34).

Frimpong created 30 chances for teammates in the Bundesliga in 2024/25.

A danger in the final third

Along with his end product, Frimpong has proved a constant threat to opposition defenders in the final third, averaging:

• 0.97 successful dribbles per 90 minutes (top 14 percent)
• 4.53 touches in the opponent’s box per 90 (top one percent)
• 1.2 fouls won per 90 (top 13 percent)

Not only is the 24-year-old willing to drive at his marker time and time again, but he more often than not gets the better of them – even if it comes with a reputation as a foul magnet.

Will he be exploited in defence?

Concerns over Frimpong’s defensive ability are thought to be misplaced, with sources close to the Dutchman telling This Is Anfield he views himself as a natural right-back.

In fact, in last season’s Bundesliga he won 75.8 percent of his tackles, which places him in the top 10 percent of players in his position.

Frimpong won possession the final third 0.81 times per 90, ranking him among the top one percent of full-backs, and was dribbled past 0.5 times per 90 to be in the top 23 percent.

Where Frimpong will fit in

The expectation within Frimpong’s camp is that he will arrive as competition for Conor Bradley in the right-back spot, with a genuine battle for the first-choice role.

While he may bring more experience and a considerable price tag having been signed for £29.5 million, there is no sense that he will simply arrive and usurp the Northern Irishman.

Intriguingly, there is a possibility that Arne Slot looks to employ their different profiles depending on the challenges Liverpool are facing.

Though Bradley is a relentless overlapping full-back he does not possess the refined attacking quality that Frimpong does yet, which could mean the latter is preferred when Liverpool need an additional threat in the final third.

He could, in that sense, become Slot’s secret weapon in attack: a player who can add to the sheer attacking force of Mohamed Salah on the right flank to overload opposition left-backs.

But the data shows that Frimpong is not a pure attacker and can clearly be trusted to hold his own in his more orthodox duties as a right-back too. He could prove a bargain.

* FotMob is an essential app for every fan to keep up to date with their team or follow football worldwide, endless stats and features offer all you could ever want and never knew you needed!

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