Manchester City captain Ruben Dias says the club's new signings are "desperate to win" and that the whole squad has bought into new manager Enzo Maresca's approach, following a summer of major upheaval at the Etihad. The comments matter because City spent a Premier League record £458m rebuilding the squad while also parting ways with key figures including Rodri, Bernardo Silva and John Stones, and replacing long-serving manager Pep Guardiola, meaning the club's ability to maintain its winning culture through such wholesale change is under scrutiny.

City brought in players such as Enzo Fernandez, Elliot Anderson and Ayyoub Bouaddi while recouping over £300m in sales, and Dias, now handed the captain's armband, praised Maresca as the "perfect person" to succeed Guardiola given his prior role as the Spaniard's assistant. Dias, 29, has made over 250 appearances since joining from Benfica in 2020, winning four league titles, the Champions League and two FA Cups, and is one of just four survivors from the 2023 Treble-winning squad. City have won all four matches so far this season and next face a tough away trip to Manchester United on Sunday.