The Union on Tuesday agreed to a deal to acquire veteran goal-scoring midfielder Chris Pontius from D.C. United in exchange for allocation money, according to reports from Goal.com and the Washington Post.
The trade is not expected to be announced until next Monday, after Sunday's MLS Cup.
"We're always actively discussing ways to improve all areas of our team," a Union spokesperson said. "But until the window officially opens, all player personnel moves are purely speculation."
Pontius, 28, scored 31 goals and 17 assists in 152 matches over seven seasons with United, before injuries darkened his last three campaigns. The midfielder had a breakout year in 2012, notching 12 goals and four assists in 26 starts, but managed only six goals and four assists in 29 total starts from 2013 to 2015.
The oft-injured player missed all but six games in the 2014 season as a result of surgery to repair his hamstring. This past season, he was out two months with a calf injury. D.C. United exercised an option on Pontius' contract, giving him $420,000 in 2016, which the Union will pay for one season.
Though Pontius is eying a return to his 2012 form, he's an instant upgrade for the Union on the left wing. Last season, Union manager Jim Curtin was stuck primarily with a slumping Andrew Wenger at that spot before Tranquillo Barnetta began working the left side of the midfield late in the season. Wenger finished the season with one goal in 26 games played.
