Over the summer, speculation ran rampant online about Drew McIntyre's WWE status. It was widely reported that he was unhappy with his place in the company and may have been looking to leave once his contract reached its end.
There was also some chatter about the two sides being unable to reach an agreement over money, but it was - somewhat ironically - at Money in the Bank in July that the former WWE Champion made his return. He then feuded with Intercontinental Champion Gunther and, in recent weeks, has been teasing a heel turn.
McIntyre's new take-no-nonsense persona has reinvigorated his character, as has the notion of a possible alliance with The Judgement Day. It's clear he's about to break bad and, with with him set to face Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship at Crown Jewel, WWE may be about to pull the trigger on a heel title run.
That could be exactly what McIntyre needs to convince him to stick around but, according to Dave Meltzer on the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, it doesn't sound like a new deal has been signed yet,
The situation has been described as a "numbers game," with McIntyre suggesting a number that WWE didn't offer. We'd imagine talks are ongoing and the company will do what it takes to keep him, especially as the Scottish wrestler would be a huge draw for AEW even if that company is no longer riding as high as it once did.
There's really no rush as McIntyre remains under contract with WWE until at least next April, meaning he'll no doubt be a huge part of WrestleMania 40. His deal had been set to end this year, but extra time has been added for injury absences and time off.
While you might think this would kill any idea of him winning the World Heavyweight Championship at Crown Jewel, it actually sounds like big plans have been put in place for him moving forward, hence why he's suddenly become a focal point on RAW.
For what it's worth, Triple H attempted to debunk these rumours about McIntyre's WWE future during the Money in the Bank press conference. Saying they'd both roll their eyes at the online reports during his absence, The Game largely dismissed the rumours, something McIntyre has also done while briefly commenting on them in interviews.
WWE now has plenty of time to convince the fan-favourite pro wrestler to stick around and we don't anticipate him heading to AEW for a long time yet.