Alex Song has told L'Equipe he was keen to return to Arsenal in the summer but accepts that Arsene Wenger did not want to sign him.
Song left Arsenal for Barcelona in 2012 but was allowed to leave the Camp Nou in the summer, ultimately signing for West Ham United on loan.
The 27-year-old said that -- like Cesc Fabregas, who joined Chelsea after Arsenal decided against bringing him back -- he had been keen to move back to the Emirates but the club decided against the move.
Song, speaking ahead of West Ham's meeting with Arsenal on Sunday, said: "I would have loved to have gone back, but they didn't want to do it. That's life. I don't blame them.
"Cesc Fabregas also hoped to return to Arsenal, but they didn't exercise their option to re-sign him. It's suprising when you see what he is doing for Chelsea. He is stronger than he was before."
Song praised Wenger, who initially signed him on loan from Bastia in 2005, saying: "He educated me and always stood by me when things went wrong."
However, he said has no regrets about joining Barca despite his lack of game time at the Camp Nou.
Asked why he left Arsenal, he said: "I stayed there a long time, but I didn't win anything. Every year, we lost our best best players -- Cesc, Robin [Van Persie], Samir [Nasri]. If they had kept everyone, they would have been champions at some point since.
"Then I had the opportunity to go to Barca, and I couldn't turn it down. They say it's a train that only passes through once."