Vincent Kompany provides transparency on his scouting mission to Denmark as the Burnley boss prepares for next season

With the Championship leaders on the cusp of a Premier League return, the Burnley boss is looking to identify potential recruits.

The Manchester City legend, who turns 37 on Easter Monday when the Clarets host Sheffield United at Turf Moor, appreciates that his side will be punching above their weight next term if and when promotion is confirmed.

And the ex-Belgium international, who won the PL title four times as a player, is looking to plan ahead in readiness for the next chapter.

"Wherever there's football I might pop up," he said. "The difference with us is that we know we're going to have to punch above our weight, so every decision we make is a crucial one.

"It feels only natural to go and watch as many players as we can, then discuss and reflect, especially given that the long weekend gave us that opportunity.

"In this case I was in Denmark, but tomorrow I might be somewhere else. It's an important part of what we do, we do it as a group, and we try to imagine players who can help us."

The four-time Sky Bet Championship Manager of the Month recipient attended the Danish Superliga game between Brøndby and Viborg and he was then pictured at the fixture between FC København and FC Nordsjælland.

Speculation had suggested that Kompany had been keeping tabs on goalkeeper Mads Hermansen, who conceded three times at the Brondby Stadion, but that won't scratch the surface of candidates on his radar.

"It's about finding a balance," he continued. "My absolute priority is to get the next games prepared and get the team ready, but a lot of work can be done when you travel and then it's a moment for 90 minutes to just see other players, other leagues.

"You watch a player on iScout or InStat, or whatever software you've got, and sometimes you've got to imagine the level of the league, the level of the players around, you've got to look at things you can only see when you watch it live. It's as much about gaining information, because for us we can't afford to make too many mistakes. We go at it every way possible."

He added: "It's 99 percent the recruitment team that is responsible for that and they do it very well. Whenever there is a big decision they give me a schedule and a fixture list and check with me whether I can attend or not. More often than not I'm not able to, but in this case I was so I went. A lot of the time saying 'no' is just as big a decision as saying 'yes'.

"There are a lot of good players in the Championship too. We've got a good team as well, so I'm not intending to fly around the world for the sake of it, either."