As returning superstars to WWE go, CM Punk would be at the top of many people's lists.

The former world champion has been gone over five years now, his relationship with the company turning sour after they mistreated a staph infection and he finally ran out of patience with the creative he was being given.

He's done everything but wrestle during his time away - including a short stint in the UFC, where he lost two fights to Mickey Gall and Mike Jackson.

Many expected him to have returned to wrestling at this point though, especially with the addition of All Elite Wrestling and their links to Starrcast, which he appeared at during All Out weekend in August.

Once upon a time a return to WWE would've been out of the question for Punk, but the frosty relationship seems to have thawed in recent times.

• WWE add ridiculous stipulation to Rollins v Wyatt
• Reigns named new captain of Team Hogan
• Bischoff's 'lack of vision' led to firing from WWE

He was present at the FOX Studios last month to test some on-screen material for WWE Backstage, but if he did work on that show as an analyst, he would be working for FOX, not Vince McMahon.

His comments at Starrcast though regarding WWE were extremely interesting, where he admitted he would talk to the company if they approached him, but he didn't want his time to be wasted.

And in a very recent AMA on Reddit, he admitted it would take a 'very big bag' for him to return to the business.

By that we assume he means money, but you can never be sure unless he literally states it.

From what he told Sky Sports earlier this month, Triple H seems willing to press forward with bringing Punk back to WWE.

"The past is the past, you move on and everybody puts things behind them," said The Game.

"If there is an opportunity to do business, Vince [McMahon] has said it a million times, we're open for business."

If WWE really wanted Punk, they could probably get him with the money they're currently throwing around [with Tyson Fury allegedly being paid £12 million for his Crown Jewel match].

A Punk return is surely now a matter of when, not if, and let's hope Vince and co don't leave it too late to offer him a way back into wrestling.