Ruben Dias has declared that Manchester City's summer arrivals are driven by a hunger to succeed, insisting that the entire squad has fully embraced the philosophy of new manager Enzo Maresca.

City broke the Premier League transfer record this summer, spending £458m on new players — among them midfielders Enzo Fernandez, Elliot Anderson, and Ayyoub Bouaddi. The club also raised more than £300m in sales, with high-profile departures including 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, former captain Bernardo Silva, and England international John Stones.

Dias, who joined from Benfica for £65m in 2020, has been central to City's leadership for years. Maresca has now entrusted him with the captain's armband, a responsibility the defender described in measured terms.

"In terms of the role I have, it goes down to trying to be the best version of yourself, and in terms of that, nothing has changed," Dias told the Football Interview.

He was candid about the scale of the squad overhaul, acknowledging the departure of numerous winners while pointing to the energy that the new arrivals have brought.

"So many people have left and so many winners have left, and now new people have joined with a lot of ambition and people that are desperate to win — and that is also what makes the club keep on going," he said.

Maresca's imprint on training

The managerial change has been equally significant. Enzo Maresca stepped into the role vacated by the legendary Pep Guardiola, who ended his 10-year tenure at the end of last season. Maresca previously served as Guardiola's assistant at Etihad Stadium before managing Leicester City and Chelsea.

Dias acknowledged that Guardiola's exit was not an easy moment for the club, but he was swift to praise Maresca as the right fit, noting that the Italian "knew the house so well."

"There's obviously many things from training session to some details about the way we press, details about the way we defend and that make all of these Enzo's idea. I feel like everything is making a lot of sense. Everyone is buying into the idea. Everyone's excited about it and there is a lot of joy in training, which is massively important," Dias said.

City have started the campaign in commanding form, winning all four of their opening matches across the Premier League and Champions League. Their next challenge is a trip to Manchester United on Sunday.

One of the last links to the treble

At 29, Dias now stands as one of the longest-serving players at the club following the wave of departures. He has appeared in more than 250 matches for City, collecting four Premier League titles, the Champions League, and two FA Cups along the way.

He is among just four survivors from the 2023 Treble-winning squad, alongside Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, and Rico Lewis. Last summer, he committed his future to City by signing a contract extension until 2029, with an option for a further year.

Despite approaching his 30s, Dias made clear his ambitions remain undimmed.

"I am still very ambitious. I took the decision of being at this level because I feel like I have won so much — but maybe the thing that would be my biggest reward would be to be here so many years playing at this level and having the consistency of being ambitious for so long. I am excited. I think excited is the word," he said.