Crystal Palace have signed Zavier Gozo from Real Salt Lake for a reported $15m (£11.1m), with the 19-year-old forward joining on a five-year deal subject to international clearance. Palace have now added another young attacker to the summer rebuild, and this one comes with a bit more production than the usual academy-promise profile.
Gozo's breakout year in MLS
Gozo scored 6 goals and made 4 assists in Real Salt Lake's first 16 league games of the year. That output is the obvious reason Palace moved, and it is backed up by the wider picture around his rise. He made his MLS debut as a 16-year-old in October 2023, and his first half of 2026 also drew a different reading from the BBC figure, which had him on 4 assists in those 16 league games.
He also earned an MLS All-Star call, and that is the kind of detail clubs tend to pay attention to when they are looking for upside they can shape quickly. Chris Richards welcomed him to South London on social media, telling him: "Yo bro, it's Chris. Heard through the grapevine you might be joining me in South London all the way from the 801. Can't wait to get going. Congrats bro, and see you soon."
Palace's summer rebuild continues
Palace listed Gozo as their sixth signing of the summer window, which fits the scale of the reshaping under new head coach Pierre Sage. The club finished 15th in the Premier League in 2025, so a move for a 19-year-old attacker with end product and room to grow makes sense on its face.
Gozo said of the switch: "I'm really looking forward to playing in the Premier League with Crystal Palace. It's the dream of any footballer." He also admitted the rise has felt quick, saying: "I think it even happened a little bit too fast for me sometimes to even think about and appreciate."
Palace have the fee, the deal length and the clearance still to clear. If that goes through, Gozo arrives in south London as another young piece in a window that is already busy.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
