MLS All-Star winger and U.S. Under-23 international Zavier Gozo has officially joined Premier League side Crystal Palace on a five-year deal.
The 19-year-old joins from MLS club Real Salt Lake, where the Utah native had been a part of their program since 2021.
Having made his MLS debut back in October 2023, it wasn’t until last season that he became a regular for the first team, scoring four goals and providing three assists in 32 games across all competitions. Gozo’s performances led some to speculate he could be a surprise inclusion in Mauricio Pochettino’s FIFA World Cup roster, although as things stand, he is yet to make his senior international debut.
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This season, Gozo has picked up where he left off, finding the back of the net six times and assisting a further four goals in 16 games, starting every MLS game barring the last two, for which he was not named in the matchday squad.
On Tuesday, Salt Lake shared a video in which Gozo said goodbye to the team, their fans, and his home state, saying, “I think it's hard to make this video and say these things to everyone that I love and this club that I love dearly.
“And I think it's always hard to say goodbye to a familiar place, a place where everyone you love lives and you felt so much support and love and comfort. But I think, I just want to say thank you to you all, the fans, my teammates, my coaches, and everyone here in Utah that I will be leaving.
“The love you guys have given me, I'll cherish for my whole life. And I think the lessons I've learned here in this club, in this state, I'll take with me and this will always be my foundation, this will always be my home and I'm so grateful for Utah and RSO.
“Chasing your dreams is never easy, but you gotta choose your heart in life. So, I love you all and I'm so grateful for everything you guys have done for me.”
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As for his new home, Gozo told team media that getting the chance to play in the Premier League was “the dream of any footballer,” telling Palace TV, “[I’m excited] by just the people and the project that Palace have going here.
“I’m interested in how they can develop me and obviously help me get to where I want to be, and obviously just the people and the club environment are top.
“I'd describe myself as a dynamic player. I like to run in behind. I like to run with the ball and dribble and shoot and score goals.
“Obviously, I have a little bit more of a magnified look at Palace just because Chris [Richards] is here and obviously in the US there's so much news about that.
“I've seen a lot of them and obviously that's what excites me about this club as well, just the success recently that they've had. I'm excited to play and score some goals for this team.”
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