Gareth Bale's transfer to Real Madrid was one of the top stories of the summer, but it was not the biggest. Neither was Neymar's transfer to Barcelona. Actually, the biggest story was Cristiano Ronaldo's rumored return to Manchester United.

There was a great deal of chatter about Ronaldo's unhappiness in Spain's capital and there were reports that he was interested in returning to Old Trafford where he made his name; he left the club in 2009 for 80 million euros. Recently, Rio Ferdinand admitted to calling Ronaldo incessantly throughout the summer to get him to return.

Ronaldo not only decided to stay in Madrid and sign a lengthy (and lucrative) contract, but has played some of his best soccer since then. He finished 2013 with 18 goals for Madrid and scored nine goals in the Champions League group stage; he was also excellent for Portugal and led the team to World Cup finals with four goals over two legs against Sweden. He won his second ever Ballon d'Or as a result.

However, Ronaldo recently admitted that he was tempted to return to the Old Trafford.

"It is true Rio and I spoke a lot [in the summer]," Ronaldo said, according to ESPN. "Rio is a great friend of mine. We played together for many years at Manchester United. We were neighbors when I was there in Manchester. He is a fantastic guy and he tried to change my mind to go back to Manchester.

"I did think about United. They are still in my heart. It is a club where I played for six years and I love that club. I have a lot of friends there and I wish them all the best."

However, it looks like Ronaldo is staying put, especially with United in shambles under new manager David Moyes.

Should Ronaldo return to Manchester United?