Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure insists the club has been built to win the Premier League and anything other than top spot is a disappointment.
Manuel Pellegrini's side lost their title to Chelsea last season but Toure is confident, with a few new signings, they will be back to their best when the campaign kicks off in August.
"The club has been built to top this league and when we finish in second it is quite disappointing," he said. "We want to bounce back. This club don't have to be second or third. We always have to finish first. We know it will be difficult because we have opponents like Chelsea, Arsenal, even Liverpool can do it, United will do it.
"We have a lot of targets this year. The target this year is to make this club proud because last year was quite disappointing. For us the main key is to try to regain the title this year.
"We are looking forward to the new players coming to try to help the club and do something big for this club. We want to do something big this year. I hope maybe in a couple of days new players come and make this club a top team next year."
City have yet to make any additions to their squad as despite their best efforts to recruit Liverpool forward Raheem Sterling two bids, the last amounting to £40million, were rejected.
The Reds are holding out for £50million but that is a price City are unwilling to go to.
Similarly their interest in Juventus' former Manchester United academy graduate Paul Pogba has cooled because of his £70million price tag and reported wage demands of £250,000-a-week.
It is understood they have not yet ruled out moves for Aston Villa's Fabian Delph or Wolfsburg's Kevin de Bruyne.