Leicester City have recently offered the forward his first professional contract at the King Power Stadium. LCFC have secured his services on a long-term agreement.
Jake Evans, 17, is currently a vital figure for the Foxes’ U21s team. He will be hoping to earn more senior minutes in the near future.
Cifuentes said, as cited by LeicestershireLive: “First of all I’m very happy that he’s signed his contract. We have a lot of faith in him and he’s definitely in our plans for the future. I’m happy for him, happy for his family and happy for the club.
“And then I’m happy about the performances he’s getting. He’s helping the team by scoring goals and improving in other areas. When I’m referring to the strikers, I don’t speak just about the goals they can score. Obviously, it’s a very good thing that Jake is doing at the moment. But I’m very happy about the way he’s developing and I’m sure he will be important for us in the future.”
Leicester City currently sit 10th in the Championship standings after their opening 12 games. They are only two points adrift of the play-off positions.
Leicester City will be eager to provide Evans with a clear route into their senior setup. LCFC could be weighing up whether to hand him some minutes over the upcoming weeks and months.
The youngster has been part of the Foxes’ system throughout his entire career so far. He has progressed through their academy structure and has featured regularly across multiple youth levels.
He made his senior debut back in April during a Premier League clash with Brighton and Hove Albion. The England youth international, who has represented the Three Lions at U16 level, came off the bench against the Seagulls during stoppage time.
Evans went on to feature three more times for Leicester City in last season’s top-flight campaign. The Northampton-born talent is yet to appear in a competitive fixture this season under Cifuentes.
What next for Leicester City and Jake Evans?
Leicester City will continue to monitor Evans’ development closely. LCFC are well aware of his knack for finding the net with the development side.
As with any emerging player, they won’t want to fast-track him into the first-team setup. They will look to gradually introduce him and ensure he transitions smoothly to senior football.
The Foxes appointed Cifuentes as their head coach this past summer, selecting him as the successor to Ruud van Nistelrooy following relegation. Before joining Leicester, he parted ways with QPR in late April.
Leicester City have suffered back-to-back defeats against Hull City and Millwall away and will need to rediscover their winning form swiftly. They return to action this weekend at home against 21st-placed Blackburn Rovers as they aim to respond and close the gap on the top six.