Crystal Palace completed the transfer of Zavier Gozo from Real Salt Lake on Tuesday, ending a move that has been building around one of the most closely watched young American attackers in MLS. The 19-year-old has signed a five-year deal, with the agreement reported at about $15m (£11m).
That price reflects how quickly Gozo has risen. He joined the Real Salt Lake academy in 2021 at 14, reached Real Monarchs a year later and made his MLS debut in 2023 at 16. This season, he has six goals and five assists in 1,417 minutes, after four goals and three assists in 1,810 minutes in his first full year with Real Salt Lake. He has also made 67 progressive carries upfield, per Futi, a sign of the ball-carrying edge Palace are buying.
Gozo's name has been in circulation for more than a year because his rise has come through the US youth setup as well as MLS. He earned his first youth callup in 2022, starting with the U-15s, and his move now takes him into the Premier League at a point when he is still only 19. Palace are getting a player who has already handled a fast climb and is now stepping into a bigger one.
The transfer also carries the edge of unfinished business. Mauricio Pochettino left Gozo out of the squad for this summer's World Cup, along with Diego Luna, and Gozo said in May that the snub hurt more than he expected. “I thought I would be less disappointed than I was,” he said, adding that it left him with more motivation to make the first team whenever the chance comes. He also said, “I feel like I’m ready to go,” when asked about moving across the Atlantic.
For Palace, the next question is not whether they have landed a prospect, but how fast they use him. Training every day alongside Chris Richards could keep Gozo in Pochettino's sights, but Premier League minutes are not guaranteed and the club will be judging him on whether his pace, carrying and end product translate quickly enough. For Gozo, the move is both a reward and a test: he has already done the hard part by forcing his way into the conversation, and now he has to turn that into a place on the field.
