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Crystal Palace are signing Thomas Ince from Blackpool - and won the race by paying a stunning £1million loan fee.

Palace supremo Steve Parish has seen off his rivals to land the England under-21 cap ahead of survival rivals Swansea, Hull and Sunderland.

Ince junior was cleared to leave by the Seasiders after his dad Paul was axed as boss. His father has guided him through the whirlwind talks.

The negotiations came down to who would pay Blackpool most for Ince's services for the rest of the season.

Palace had cash to spend on the deal after losing out to Cardiff City on Wilfried Zaha when he left Manchester United.

Swansea pulled back from the move as they felt it was too expensive while Ince senior's mates Steve Bruce and Mark Hughes also withdrew.

Ince junior will be a free agent in the summer, with Palace a possible option for him.

However the one-time Liverpool kid may join Monaco, a potential move that sparked the rift between the Ince camp and Blackpool.