Philadelphia Union acquire Chris Pontius from D.C. United

The Philadelphia Union acquired veteran midfielder Chris Pontius from D.C. United on Monday for financial considerations.

Pontius was United's longest-serving player, having joined the club as the seventh overall draft pick in 2009.

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Injuries limited him to just six goals and 39 starts over the past three seasons. But the Union, who finished second-last in the Eastern Conference in 2015, believe he is "an excellent addition."

Union director Chris Albright added in a statement: "His ability, experience and winning mentality will help lead our club in the right direction in 2016."

United risked losing Pontius, 28, in the re-entry draft without any compensation had they not dealt him. Instead, the team gained some financial flexibility with the deal. In exchange for dropping Pontius' $396,000 salary, United received both general, and targeted allocation money, which can be used to buy down other contracts and limit their impact on the salary cap.

Pontius enjoyed his best season in 2012, when he was named to the MLS All-Star Game, and the MLS Best XI, and notched a career-high 12 goals.