Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong is attracting interest from Chelsea, according to reports. The 29-year-old has been at Barcelona since 2019 after he joined from Ajax for €86million (£72m).De Jong is currently on the road to recovery from a serious medial collateral ligament (MCL) tearGettyDuring the last seven years, he has accumulated 297 appearances and earned the captain’s armband.The Dutch international suffered a knee injury during the World Cup in North America with Barca wanting to operate on the player, while De Jong opted for conservative treatment.He has now returned to training on the pitch; however, it will be a long time until the midfielder plays another match.During his time out injured, Rodri has made an immediate impact in the middle of the pitch after he moved from Manchester City for £65m in the summer.Additionally, Hansi Flick also has Pedri, Fermín López, Marc Bernal, Gavi and Dani Olmo competing for the position.Reports in Spain now claim Chelsea are monitoring De Jong’s situation.The Blues are understood to view the Dutchman as an ideal successor to Enzo Fernandez, who replaced Rodri at the Etihad.Flick has remained clear that De Jong still plays an important role at the club and recently said: “Frenkie is a great player and we need him.”Valentin Barco and Jordan Henderson were two midfield arrivals at Stamford Bridge during the summer.Lamine Camara looked set to be a third from AS Monaco on deadline day, but a move fell through.Fernandez has enjoyed a good start to life in ManchesterGettyLiverpool are understood to have impacted the move by instructing him to stay at Monaco ahead of a potential switch next summer.Despite failing to sign Camara, Chelsea still allowed Fernandez to join Man City for £125m.Man City sniffed aboutAdditionally, De Jong had the opportunity to leave Barcelona during the summer as City considered a move.Barca reportedly did not oppose a potential transfer if they received a suitable offer and made it clear the Dutch international was not an untouchable player.Manchester City eventually opted for younger midfield profiles and spent heavily on Fernandez, Elliot Anderson, and Ayyoub Bouaddi for a combined total of €375million (£318million).The 29-year-old is under contract with Barcelona until 2029, and still has time to prove his worth in LaLiga.Man City pulled out after reviewing the medical reports regarding his kneeAFPUnder new manager Xabi Alonso, Chelsea have had an entertaining but highly inconsistent start to the Premier League season.The Blues currently sit tenth with seven points, recording two wins, one draw, and two defeats.Chelsea are currently on a three-match winless streak in the league, most recently suffering a heavy 3-0 defeat away at Brentford.