D.C. United signs Benteke

D.C. United acquired Belgian national team striker Christian Benteke from Crystal Palace, adding a 10-year Premier League veteran as MLS’s transfer and trade window closed and the London club was preparing to begin its season. Benteke, 31, will become the highest-paid player in club history, two people familiar with the terms said. His salary will surpass Wayne Rooney’s $3.5 million pact in 2019, his second and final season as a United player. United also paid an undisclosed transfer fee of several million dollars to Crystal Palace, Benteke’s club for the past six seasons. He will not be allowed to play in MLS until his work visa is approved, a process that typically takes at least two weeks . . . FC Cincinnati acquired center back Matt Miazga from Premier League club Chelsea. Miazga, who has also played for the US national team, signed a contract that will keep him in Cincinnati through 2025 with an option for 2026. Miazga, 27, previously played in Major League Soccer with the New York Red Bulls from 2013 to 2015. Cincinnati is in ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings and angling to make the playoffs for the first time since joining MLS in 2019 . . . Forward Denis Bouanga has signed with Los Angeles FC as the Major League Soccer-leading club’s third designated player. Bouanga is leaving Saint-Étienne of France’s second division to join LAFC, the club announced without disclosing contract terms. Bouanga recorded 26 goals and 13 assists in Ligue 1 over the past three seasons with Saint-Étienne, which was relegated last spring. The 27-year-old Bouanga is a native of France who plays for Gabon’s national team, recording seven goals and four assists in 32 appearances . . . The San Jose Earthquakes signed defender Carlos Akapo, who has played with Cadiz in Spain’s LaLiga since 2019. The deal runs through the 2023 season with a club option for 2024. Akapo, a free agent, will occupy an international roster spot.