Tom Ince or not Tom Ince? That is the question

If the rumours and reports are to be believed, and let’s face it they’re not, Blackpool and England under-21 star Tom Ince is in discussions with Crystal Palace over a potential loan switch to Selhurst Park. Of course there are other suitors, and why wouldn’t there be, with the likes of Swansea and even former club Liverpool rumoured to be interested in the young winger, and if we’re honest they offer a far more attractive proposition to a player of his calibre. However, as good as Ince has been for a struggling Blackpool outfit in the Championship, he is yet to prove himself on the big stage, and as such represents a gamble for any club looking to bring him in in the window. Especially for those clubs like Palace and Swansea who may see him as their saviour in their battle against relegation.

Sky Sports News today reported that Ince was to travel to London for discussions with Pulis and the Palace board, only for it then to emerge that the Seasiders top scorer was up in the Potteries talking to Stoke City. Whatever the case may be, Ince is certainly a player a lot of fans would like to see at the club, and certainly one Pulis and the board would be interested in signing. Yet despite all the optimism surrounding Ince, does he in fact need Palace more than Palace really needs his services at this moment in time? Now a lot of you reading this might think I’m mad to not want this transfer to go through, but that is not entirely what it is I’m getting at here.

The purpose for Ince to go out on loan in this manner, and half way through a season, is surely to see him get regular games at the very highest level. This will allow him to showcase his talents on the global stage and put himself firmly in the shop window come the summer when he inevitably forces a permanent move away from Bloomfield Road. Also a string of consistently top performances could see him make a late charge for Roy Hodgson’s World Cup squad given the lack of quality England possess currently on the wings. With all this in mind, it would make sense for Ince to select a club like Palace for his move, and perhaps gives the Eagles the edge in the race for his signature. A guaranteed starting birth every week in the Premier League would be on offer, something that he might not get at the likes of Liverpool or Swansea, and for this reason I would suggest that Ince needs a club such as Palace to take the gamble and provide the springboard for his career, as many of the top clubs are clearly yet to be sold on the lads ability.

In here lies the problem as I see it for Palace. Do they really need him? Is he the kind of player that is going to be the difference maker come the end of the season? Maybe. But to pin our hopes on an untried Championship, who may purely be using the club to further his own career, just seems foolish. Yannick Bolasie and Jason Puncheon for all their deficiencies have been in exceptional form since Pulis arrived; with both 100% committed to the cause and on their days both can be match winners. Unless we were given a first option on buying Ince after the conclusion of the loan for a reasonable fee, how likely is it that he will play for the club and not just for himself? I feel that if we pushed through this deal it would represent the only major piece of business for the club in the window, with time quickly running out before the Friday deadline, and as such the fans would expect him to start each week, and Pulis could feel obliged to play him regardless of his performance levels.

This could all turn out fantastically well for the Eagles. We could acquire a tremendous prospect for next to nothing who could seriously further our survival push, bringing a hunger to succeed that matches his undoubted talent. However a big part of me feels that if we were to sign him it would be detrimental to our survival hopes, as we would be obliged to field a player who’s own needs don’t match that of the club. The time and resources that will go towards completing this deal would surely be better spent bringing in a true proven Premier League goal scorer as well as a top quality centre half to provide back up for the ageing back-line.

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