Keith Wyness drops Fulham 'relegation' verdict after 'very risky' Alvaro Arbeloa move
Fulham are prime candidates to finish in the bottom three of the Premier League if they appoint Alvaro Arbeloa as their new manager.
That is according to former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes that the Cottagers' chairman Shahid Khan has picked the wrong man to take over from Marco Silva.
This comes after the news that the West London club are finalising a deal to appoint the Spaniard as their new boss.
Wyness believes that Arbeloa was "promoted too quickly" through the ranks at Real Madrid, and will not be up to the level of the Premier League.
The 43-year-old took charge of Los Blancos back in January, having previously led their B team, but departed at the end of the campaign after a trophyless season.
Fulham have already lined him up as the right man to lead them forward, but Wyness has major doubts about the imminent move.
Alvaro Arbeloa to be 'gone by Christmas' - Keith Wyness
Everton’s former chief Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes that Fulham have picked Arbeloa for his "potential" alone.
He emphasised that the Premier League is not the place for managers who are still trying to learn their trade, and didn't hold back on his feelings over Arbeloa.
Speaking on the latest edition of Football Insider's Inside Track podcast, the Scottish businessman stated that he fears the Spaniard could be "gone by Christmas."
"If it does get done, I'll put Fulham straight into my bottom three potential relegation candidates. I think it's a very, very risky move," Wyness said.
"He had a bit of a nightmare time at Real Madrid, got promoted too quickly, to such a high position. There's no doubt that Shahid Khan is looking at potential rather than proven, and I'm afraid it's very, very hard to learn and find your feet in the Premier League with no experience.
"I think it's either going to be one of those that you look back in three years and say, I had great foresight, or in three months, do you say, wow, we've got ourselves in trouble.
"I'm afraid I think it's going to be the second. I wouldn't be surprised to see him gone by Christmas, with Fulham being the club in trouble."
Fulham facing 'serious kickback' from fans
Wyness told Football Insider at the start of June that Fulham are facing a "serious kickback" from their fans after announcing ticket price increases of 3.5 per cent.
The Cottagers already have the most expensive adult ticket in the entire Premier League, and that figure is set to climb even further in 2026-27.
Wyness noted that fans across the league are being tested to their very limit at the moment, and pointed towards the recent protests at Liverpool.
He made it clear that it is only a matter of time before demonstrations become commonplace elsewhere, if clubs continue to eek every penny out of their supporters.