SEAN O'Driscoll says it would be a "major boost" to Cherries if proposals to alter the loan system were reconsidered.

Plans for the transfer window to apply to the Football League next season would mean that clubs could only bolster their squads during the summer or in January.

The controversial system - implemented for the first time in England in the Premiership two seasons ago - includes the provision for making loan signings during the same two periods.

But although the Football League declined to elaborate when contacted by the Daily Echo, they did confirm that talks are taking place regarding the new regulations.

And it is believed they are trying to secure a special form of dispensation whereby loan signings can still be made outside of the transfer window.

Together with numerous other lower-league clubs, Cherries rely heavily on the loan market and the new rules could have disastrous consequences.

O'Driscoll told the Daily Echo: "The transfer window will come in. There's no way it won't come in for the lower clubs, but maintaining the loan system is more important for me.

"I think keeping it as it is now would be important for the lower clubs as well as the bigger clubs and it would be a major boost.

"I think everybody understands that it would be a backward step to change the loan system and I think the Football League are keen to keep it as it is.

"But until somebody tells me otherwise, we've got to err on the side that we've lost the loan system even though you would like to err on the other side.

"It's a bit dangerous to say they are going to keep the loan system as it is and I don't think anybody is going to increase the size of their squad this early unless they've got the finance to do it just to have greater numbers.

"I'm sure it will be sometime in July or August when they decide and then there will either be a mad scramble to supplement squads or everybody will just continue as we have in the past."

Like his predecessor Mel Machin, O'Driscoll has regularly scoured the loan market with numerous untried young players from Premiership clubs blooded during their time at Cherries.

And at Walsall last season, Cherries were forced to line up with no fewer than three loan players in their defence - Matthew Mills, Adam Green and James O'Connor - due to an acute injury crisis.

Earlier this year, Cherries chairman Peter Phillips received a fax from Sir Brian Mawhinney, his counterpart at the Football League, confirming FIFA's decision to implement the transfer window next season.

Phillips told the Daily Echo last night: "We don't know anything about the progress with discussions, but we very much hope they succeed because we feel it would be very damaging to football at this level if we were unable to use the loan system outside of the transfer window."

A spokesman for the Football League said: "How the new FIFA transfer regulations are going to be implemented are still being discussed between the Football League and the Football Association and when things are finalised, we'll announce what they are."