Alex Song wanted a return to Arsenal before joining West Ham on loan from Barcelona this summer.
The Cameroon international was keen on a move back to the Emirates and revealed he only left the Gunners because he had won nothing and was growing tired of seeing the club sell their star players.
Speaking to L’Equipe, as reported by the Daily Mirror yesterday, Song said:
‘I would like to have gone back (to Arsenal) but they didn’t want it. That’s life.
‘I don’t hold any grudges against them. Cesc Fabregas equally wanted to go back to Arsenal but they did not want to take up the option to buy him.’
He added:
‘I had been there a long time but won nothing. Every year, we lost our best players – Cesc, Robin (Van Persie), Samir (Nasri). If the club had kept everyone, Arsenal would have been champions during that time.’
Song joined Arsenal from Bastia in 2005 and made a total of 204 appearances in all competitions before sealing a £15 million move to Barcelona in summer 2012.
However, the 27-year-old has now seen much game time in a Barca shirt but says he couldn’t turn down the chance to play for the La Liga giants:
‘I had the chance to go to Barca. And you don’t turn that down. You only get that chance once.’
Song revealed that although he could have played Champions League football in Italy with Napoli or Roma or in Turkey, his priority was to come back to England where he made his name:
‘I could have played in the Champions League in Italy with Napoli or Roma or in Turkey. I could have played in France too at Marseille.
‘But my priority was to come back to England. For me and for the family. We feel good here. I have discovered a club that I didn’t know and with whom it is going rather well.’
The former Gunner wants to play Champions League football next season but not with Barcelona
‘Of course. But not at Barcelona. My future is in England.’
Taking this all into account, should Arsene Wenger seriously consider bringing Song back to the Emirates over the summer?
The defensive midfielder wanted to come back to Arsenal and I was very surprised when I heard Wenger snubbed the idea as we currently lack depth in this department of the squad.
Funnily enough, we are currently being linked with a few names that can protect the back four, which makes it even more puzzling as to why we just didn’t bring him back this summer – even on a season-long loan!
Song has been a revelation for West Ham this season and with the Hammers unlikely to seal a top four finish, the midfielder will be looking for a club that will be playing in the Champions League, preferably one in England.
It would make good business sense, and he’s a player that knows the club and playing system inside out.
If his future lies in England, then why not be with Arsenal?
If wenger have de oportunity to have him back he should cos is the rait man we need. Rait nw
Please song need to come back he is good and strong in that position
Alex it’s quite true that we sold the players mentioned by yuo,but what could arsene do? what alecs forgot to mention was,that the players mentioned were running their contract down with a few months to expire,what did you expect to do in this scenario? let them go for free, once they where not ready to sign a new contract ?,in wenger’s place I would have done the same,sell them,and regards you,alec,deep in your heart you knew for sure that at barca your playing time was going to be almost nil,yet you still left with the pretex of honours( my foot ) you were after more pay,just likes the juda’s before you
P S and regarding your come back to ARSENAL I would welcome you with open arms,as well
song sh’d come back if da chance is there.
Wenger should but prob won’t. He thinks the club belongs to himself. Buying song would shut alot of the supporters up! But Wenger is too stuborn to listen to what most people say about what we need. He will never win the league again. But insists on doing his fourth place finish crap. Im tired of him
NO!!! DISCIPLINE
Wenger refused to buy him back just like Fabregas because when RVP left, Wenger decided that he will never be used by players again.
So Wenger will not buy him back because we have done better since Fabregas, RVP and Song left , we have won the FA cup and we have bought Ozil and now Sanchez(Who I suspect Jose Mo of Chelski is wishing he had bought instead of Fabregas).
No Song sorry, we are fine.
No way I’d bring back Song or Fabregas for that matter if I were Wenger. These are players who wanted out of the club and went to ridiculous extent to realize their intentions. Arsenal are a club with history and class and should not, and cannot, be used by classless football players.
Looks like Arsenal have an “If you want to come back, you must come back for free” policy, considering Thierry Henry and Mathieu Flamini’s returns recently.
Just a shame how we’ve ironically now strengthened all of our rivals with some of our best players of the past 10 years, when we’ve had options to keep them – Toure, Clichy, Sagna, Fabregas, Nasri, Van Persie, Song and so forth it went…..