Vincent Kompany planning ‘smart’ recruitment and ‘healthy decisions’ for Burnley

Vincent Kompany insists Burnley must be “smart” in the summer transfer window as they gear up for their return to the Premier League.

In his first season in charge, Kompany has guided the Clarets back to the top flight 12 months after relegation, winning the Sky Bet Championship title and reaching 101 points with a 3-0 victory over Cardiff in Monday’s final game of the season.

The success came after Kompany oversaw a major overhaul of the squad last summer, when 13 senior players left and 16 arrived to replace them.

There will be nothing on that scale this time, but Kompany knows further investment is needed to try to ensure Burnley can re-establish themselves in the Premier League.

“We’ve been planning for comfortably six months for this scenario,” Kompany told the PA news agency. “We’re going to have to be smart but, because we’ve been planning for a long time, I feel confident we can improve the squad without losing what has been good for us this season.

“At the same time we have to make sure we don’t go and bankrupt the club. It’s about healthy decisions, protecting the club, but at the same time trying to be competitive.”

Last week Kompany signed a new five-year Burnley contract, designed to end speculation linking him to Tottenham and Chelsea so that prospective new signings know who they will be playing for.

Kompany said the contract reflected how happy he is with his Turf Moor set-up.

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