Revealed: The mood inside the Manchester City dressing room ahead of the 2025/26 season | OneFootball

Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva has lifted the lid on the current feeling within the dressing room at the Etihad Stadium ahead of the brand new 2025/26 season.

Silva has been appointed club captain by manager Pep Guardiola after the summer departures of Kevin De Bruyne and former skipper Kyle Walker, who has joined Burnley on a two-year deal after returning from a six-month loan stint at AC Milan.

Guardiola decided to take the captaincy decision for the first time this summer since he was appointed Manchester City manager in 2016, with the Blues undergoing a major squad shuffle spearheaded by newly-appointed director of football Hugo Viana.

City failed to win the Premier League for the first time in five seasons last term, finishing in third place with 71 points – behind Arsenal and champions Liverpool. Guardiola’s men also crashed out of the UEFA Champions League at the Round of 16 stage and lost the FA Cup final to Crystal Palace.

After a sub-standard 2024-25 campaign, Viana has led an influx of new signings as Manchester City have secured the arrival(s) of Rayan Ait-Nouri, Marcus Bettinelli, Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki, Sverre Nypan and James Trafford – so far into this transfer window.

Contract renewals are also high up on the priority list for Etihad Stadium bosses, who have agreed terms to extend Ruben Dias’ contract past 2027, with talks to tie Rodri and Phil Foden down to long-term deals set to follow.

After a Round of 16 finish at the FIFA Club World Cup in the Unites States earlier this summer, the Manchester City first-team squad are back together for pre-season training following a three-and-a-half week break to rest and recuperate at the end of a gruelling season.

A friendly clash in Italy against Palermo lies on the horizon before Guardiola and co face off against Wolves at the Molineux Stadium in Manchester City’s opening Premier League fixture of the 2025-26 campaign on August 16.

Speaking prior to Manchester City’s Open Training session at the Joie Stadium on Tuesday afternoon, new club captain Silva was asked on the field of the mood within the dressing room going into a new season.

“It’s very good,” the Portugal international revealed. “We’re very motivated for the new season, I think that a lot of good things are coming, we’re working very hard to give the fans something that they deserve – titles again.”

Looking back on recent big-name exits from the club over the last few years, added to by De Bruyne and Walker this summer, Silva insisted upon their legacy and one that needs to be maintained by the most senior figures within the club at present.

“The legacy that they left is that it’s not enough to finish 2nd, 3rd, or 4th. And the legacy that we want to give to the younger guys and new signings is that in this Club we need to win, and that’s the motivation that we go into every day,” the 31-year-old added.