For much of the past year, the story of American starlet Zavier Gozo has been one of realizing potential – even in failure. Speaking with the Guardian the day after he and Real Salt Lake teammate Diego Luna learned they wouldn’t be on Mauricio Pochettino’s squad for this summer’s World Cup, the 19-year-old Gozo admitted the rejection made him realize how close he’d gotten to earning a spot.
“I thought I would be less disappointed than I was,” Gozo said in May. “Obviously, it wasn’t like I was supposed to go. I feel like I was disappointed, but I also think it just gave me so much more motivation to be able to make the first team, whenever that is.”
If it works out well, Gozo’s move to Crystal Palace could see that happen sooner than many would have anticipated a year ago. The Premier League club finalized the transfer of Gozo from Real Salt Lake on Tuesday in a five-year deal. The agreement is reportedly worth around $15m (£11m).
The move follows one of the most rapid ascents of any American men’s prospect in recent memory.
Gozo joined the Real Salt Lake academy in 2021 at age 14, debuting with their second team, Real Monarchs, a year later. His MLS debut came in 2023, when he was still just 16. Over time, Gozo emerged as an option at right wing-back offering precocious confidence on the ball, capping his first full season with RSL with four goals and three assists in 1,810 minutes.
This season, Gozo has been given increased license to stay upfield. His technique in close quarters has been especially impressive, with deft touches and passes helping RSL get into dangerous areas. His end product has also been on greater display, with six goals and five assists in 1,417 minutes thus far.
His ability to set up his own shot as well as create dangerous looks for his teammates helps him stand out. Gozo has made 67 progressive carries upfield, per Futi, a category led by Lionel Messi, Denis Bouanga, Evander and Anders Dreyer – four members of last year’s MLS Best XI.
The question for any young player of Gozo’s caliber is how best to position themselves for international consideration. On the one hand, he had already established himself as a regular starter in MLS. On the other, strong performances in MLS – as in any league – provide no guarantee of landing on a national team, as Gozo’s teammate Luna learned the hard way by being among Pochettino’s toughest omissions.
As a result, Gozo felt he was nearing the ideal window for making a move across the Atlantic.
“I feel like I’m ready to go,” Gozo added without hesitation. “Whether that happens or not, I don’t know, but I think this is a unique situation I have. I’m blessed to be in a situation where I have such a good club to be at, but I also think, you know … What’s next in my career? I don’t know.”
The son of an American mother and an Ivorian father, Gozo also earned his first US youth international callup in 2022, beginning with the U-15s. He has become a regular with the youth national teams.
With Pochettino opting to stick with the USMNT through the 2030 World Cup, Gozo figures to be in contention with the players who made the squad for this summer’s tournament for a place in the US’s plans over the next four years. Training at Palace every day with US mainstay Chris Richards will surely keep him in Pochettino’s sights, to say nothing of any Premier League minutes he’s able to get under new manager Pierre Sage.
