Arsenal Forward Gabriel Martinelli Signs Contract Extension

Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli kicks the ball during the English Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester United at Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023. (AP)
Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli kicks the ball during the English Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester United at Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023. (AP)
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Arsenal Forward Gabriel Martinelli Signs Contract Extension

Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli kicks the ball during the English Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester United at Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023. (AP)
Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli kicks the ball during the English Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester United at Emirates stadium in London, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023. (AP)

Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli has signed a “long-term” contract extension, the Premier League leaders said Friday.

The 21-year-old Brazil international has scored seven goals this season to boost Arsenal's title bid in his fourth season in north London.

The club did not specify the length of the deal but manager Mikel Arteta called it “a new long-term contract.”

“Gabi is still very young, so we know there's still much more to come from him and it's great that we'll be on this journey together,” Arteta said in the club's announcement.

Martinelli was not quoted in the announcement.

The forward has started all 19 league games this season. He has made 111 appearances in his Arsenal career since signing from Sao Paulo club Ituano in July 2019.



‘Flooding Rains’ Threaten to Dampen Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
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‘Flooding Rains’ Threaten to Dampen Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony

Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)
Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Spectators are seen behind the Eiffel Tower ahead of the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics. (Reuters)

The Paris Olympics look likely to get off to a soggy start.

Meteo-France, the French weather service, is predicting “flooding rains” Friday evening when the opening ceremony is set to unroll along the Seine River. But the show is set to go on as planned, starting at 1:30 p.m. EDT/7:30 p.m. CEST and should last more than three hours.

Already in the late afternoon, skies were gray with intermittent drizzle. There was a silver lining, though, with temperatures expected to stay relatively warm throughout the evening.

Instead of a traditional march into a stadium, about 6,800 athletes will parade on more than 90 boats on the Seine River for 6 kilometers (3.7 miles). Though 10,700 athletes are expected to compete at these Olympics, hundreds of soccer players are based outside Paris, surfers are in Tahiti and many have yet to arrive for their events in the second week, organizers said Thursday.

Hundreds of thousands of people, including 320,000 paying and invited ticket-holders, are expected to line the Seine’s banks as athletes are paraded along the river on boats.