Real Salt Lake nearing agreement to send Utah native Zavier Gozo to England's Crystal Palace
No agreement is imminent, a source confirmed, but the two sides are trending quickly toward an agreement that would send the Utah native to the Premier League side in time for the 2026-27 season.
SANDY, Utah — Zavier Gozo’s time with Real Salt Lake is nearing an end.
The club and player are in advanced talks with Premier League club Crystal Palace on a multi-million dollar transfer, a source confirmed to Salt City Soccer. The Athletic was the first to report details of the transfer, which is expected to fetch a fee “in the range” of $15 million.
Gozo has six goals and five assists in 16 matches in 2026 for Real Salt Lake in what has been declared a breakout campaign as the longtime winger moved to right wingback in Pablo Mastroeni’s 3-5-2 set-up. The move, plus Gozo’s inherent speed and athleticism, allowed the teenager to feature more in the attack in addition to his long-showcased dribbling ability.
The source did not confirm a timeline for Gozo’s move, but the transfer is expected to be concluded before the Sept. 2 close of the summer transfer window in MLS.
ESPN, which also reported a transfer fee “in the range of” $15 million, said the deal is expected to be finalized in the 24 to 48 hours following RSL’s Leagues Cup opener with Tigers UANL.
Gozo would then travel to London on Friday upon the final agreement, per ESPN.
In Crystal Palace, Gozo would join a Premier League side under new management in former RC Lens manager Pierre Sage, who was hired in June after Oliver Glasner accepted the same position at Nottingham Forest.
Palace is currently the home of U.S. defender Chris Richards, which would make Gozo the second American on the roster.
This is a developing story, and will be updated with additional information.
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