Teenage American Prodigy, Top USMNT Prospect Seals Deal With Crystal Palace
There’s another American superstar taking the leap across the pond. After weeks of delay, Crystal Palace announced the signing of Zavier Gozo from MLS’s Real Salt Lake on a five-year deal reportedly valued at more than $15 million.
“I’m really looking forward to playing in the Premier League with Crystal Palace. It’s the dream of any footballer,” Gozo said in the club’s news release on Tuesday evening. “I’m excited by the people and the project they have going on here. I’ve seen a lot of it, and that’s what excites me about this club as well, the success that they’ve had.”
The 19-year-old star winger out of West Valley City, Utah has experienced a swift rise in his career. He left his local boyhood club for Real Salt Lake’s youth academy just six years ago, before making his MLS debut in 2023 at 16 years old. Now, he’s headed to one of, if not, the most competitive leagues in the world.
He caught the eye of Palace this spring, after recording six goals and five assists in 16 starts across the first half of the MLS season and earning his first MLS All-Star nod in the process.
“I think [my rise] even happened a little bit too fast for me sometimes to even think about and appreciate,” Gozo tells Sports Illustrated while at the MLS All-Star Game. “ ... Life moves so fast. You play well for a couple of games, and you’re an All-Star. It came faster than I thought and faster than a lot of people thought. It’s been a great journey.”
Gozo joins fellow American Chris Richards at Crystal Palace. Richards is the defensive stalwart of the U.S. men’s national team and was a key starter at the 2026 World Cup this summer. Gozo, seven years Richards’s junior, will look to follow closely in his new teammate’s footsteps and make his senior debut with the national team as soon as this fall.
"Yo bro, it’s Chris,” Richards said through a phone message to Gozo in a video the club posted to social media. “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.”
An American-Riddled Premier League
Gozo and Richards will meet several other American stars in Premier League competition this season.
Star fullback Antonee Robinson plays for Fulham, while attacking midfielder Brenden Aaronson plays for Leeds United.
Defensive midfielder Tyler Adams stars in the center of the park for Bournemouth, while striker Haji Wright plays for the newly-promoted Coventry City.
Crystal Palace kicks off the 2026–27 campaign on Saturday against Everton, when Gozo could feasibly make his debut.
