Manager Sir Alex Ferguson has accused some of Manchester United's rivals of going on a "kamikaze" spending spree.
His comments came on the day Manchester City said they expected to complete a deal to sign England midfielder James Milner from Aston Villa.
And though Ferguson did not identify any club by name, City are set to spend around 275 million dollars this year, way in excess of any other Premier League side.
There has also been criticism of the wage levels of some footballers, with one new City arrival, the Ivorian Yaya Toure, believed to be earning in excess of 430 thousand dollars a week.
Ferguson, however, has built a squad with a mix of long-serving veterans such as Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes as well as younger talents including summer signings Javier Hernandez, Chris Smalling and Bebe.
The 68-year-old believes a more prudent approach can still match the big spending of other clubs.
Just today the Indian entrepreneur considering a takeover bid for Blackburn Rovers says he will give manager Sam Allardyce up to 220 million dollars to spend on new players if the bid succeeds.
