Arsenal Transfer News: Arsene Wenger Reveals Kingsley Coman Pursuit, Top Rumours

Kinglsey Coman could potentially have moved to Arsenal rather than Juventus in 2014 as Gunners manager Arsene Wenger has revealed he "really tried" to sign the forward.

Coman, 19, has been on loan at Bayern Munich this season and has starred at the Allianz Arena, netting three goals and providing two assists in eight Bundesliga performances, per WhoScored.com.

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The youngster joined Juve from Paris Saint-Germain in July 2014, but Wenger says he was close to moving to the Emirates, per Jamie Sanderson in Metro:

"Yes we really tried to sign Kingsley Coman in the summer of 2014. The transfer was almost completed, but he preferred Juventus."

Coman seems like the quintessential Wenger signing, a young Frenchman with creativity and immense skill with whom the Arsenal manager would no doubt have been very eager to work.

Here's a taste of what the Gunners missed out on:

Wenger could clearly not persuade Coman to move to north London, and his future now looks as though it may lie with Bayern.

His loan deal currently runs for two seasons and Bayern then have the option to sign him on a permanent basis in 2017, surely an option they will take up if he continues his current form, per Sky Sports.

Indeed, Coman is seen by many as the heir apparent to the 31-year-old Arjen Robben at Bayern, per Bundesliga expert Clark Whitney:

Should Coman make good on his potential and become one of the world's top players, Wenger will no doubt live to regret not being able to sign him up.

The French manager is reportedly looking to snap up another of Europe's top stars, though, with rumours emerging that Arsenal will go in for Porto's Ruben Neves in January.

According to Daniel Cutts in the Sun, the Gunners are set to launch a £22 million bid for the 18-year-old defensive midfielder in the winter window, with £12 million to be paid up front and £10 million more in potential add-ons.

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The report indicates that Arsenal have sent scouts to watch Neves several times this season and Wenger views him as ideal cover for the injured Francis Coquelin.

Neves is one of the most highly rated youngsters in Europe and has already led Porto as captain. 

A youth product at Porto, Neves is clearly very dedicated to the Portuguese outfit, a factor that may well rule out the possibility of Arsenal signing him in January, per football writer Jan Hagen:

Furthermore, the Portuguese international is currently contracted to Porto until 2017 and has a release clause of €40 million (£28 million), per Sky Sports.

While Neves would undoubtedly be a terrific purchase for Arsenal and add much-needed depth to the centre of midfield, it is surely going to take more than £28 million to snap him up.