Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks insists Manchester City will have to curb their lavish transfer spending.
City are mounting a serious challenge to the Premier League's established elite and their new-look, star-studded squad has made a 100 per cent start to the new season.
Eastlands boss Mark Hughes has been given unprecedented funds which are the envy of his rival managers, but Hicks feels City's super-rich Middle East owners will be forced to tighten the purse strings.
"It's not sustainable at City, they won't continue to invest like that as it doesn't make good economic sense," Hicks said.
"Hopefully they will make the improvements they need to make and then run it more like a business. The smart clubs operate for the long term and you must look at who have had success for many years."
The Anfield outfit's American supremo, who recently saw the club's coffers bolstered with a £20million-a-year shirt sponsorship deal with Standard Chartered Bank, is keen to balance on-field success with off-field prudence.
Commitment
"You have to look at cash flow rather than accounting and we intend to operate Liverpool where it has a very strong positive cash flow so we have the resources to be as competitive as possible on the pitch. That's our commitment," Hicks added.
"We had strong, positive cash flows last year. Our debt levels are at a very comfortable level and we are going to continue bringing it down.
"Our goal is to have less debt than any of the top clubs and that's a commitment we have made and will continue to make."
Hicks expects manager Rafa Benitez to be requesting funds from the recent sponsorship deal to improve his squad in the January transfer window and hopes further investment into the club will enable the board to approve further spending.
"Knowing Rafa Benitez, I suspect he's got his eye on part of it," he said.
"As we build our revenues it gives the ability to be more competitive on the pitch and this is a very important one, but we think we have other opportunities in the future as well."