LONDON: Ahead of the new Premier League season and amid Britain's deep recession, most top clubs in England are holding back from spending vast sums on new players without first offloading some of their own.

Only Manchester City are proving the exception, freely splashing the cash on some of their Premier League rivals' biggest stars as they prepare for the start of the 2009-10 campaign tomorrow.

Bankrolled by wealthy Gulf-based owners, City have so far spent a combined 95 million pounds ($157 million) on transfer fees for five big names.