Barcelona Transfer News: Eric Abidal Reportedly Scouting Frenkie De Jong

Barcelona sporting director Eric Abidal has reportedly traveled to Munich to watch Ajax midfielder Frenkie de Jong against Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League.

The Catalans have long been linked with the Dutchman and continue to watch him with a close eye, per Sport's Tomas Andreu.

Transfer chatter surrounding De Jong has been persistent since summer, with news outlets all over the continent linking just about every top club with the emerging talent.

No team has been linked more than Barcelona, and their interest dates back to summer. Catalan outlet Mundo Deportivo (h/t Goal) remains confident he's on his way to the Camp Nou, and a deal could be agreed as early as January.

Mundo have placed the 21-year-old at the centre of their transfer reporting with multiple stories every week. As shared by Sport Witness, they have suggested Barcelona want the youngster to force Ajax's hand:

Ajax have moved the central midfielder into a more defensive role, letting him distribute the ball from the back. His long-term future still appears to lie in midfield, although some believe his versatility will see him continue in a hybrid role teams will want to exploit.

Barcelona lost Paulinho and Andres Iniesta during the summer, and while they added Arthur and have several midfield prospects in the pipelines, they're still expected to address the position in the near future.

Ivan Rakitic's inconsistent form since the FIFA World Cup may speed up proceedings. Fans have not been impressed with the Croat of late:

While Abidal may have traveled to watch De Jong in action, there's a good chance he wasted a trip:

Ajax will face Bayern on Tuesday. They beat AEK Athens in their Champions League opener but have been without De Jong since the 3-0 loss against PSV last month.