Back pages: record-breaking Sergio Aguero hits new heights, Spurs to offload Eriksen

Hat-trick hero

One story dominates all the back pages and that is the record-breaking feat of Man City striker Sergio Aguero on Sunday afternoon. The Argentine striker’s hat-trick in City’s 6-1 thrashing of Aston Villa was the 12th of his Premier League career, surpassing the existing record of 11 by Alan Shearer.

“League of his Own”, is the headline in the Daily Express, with the paper acclaiming his achievement in overtaking Thierry Henry to become the Premier League’s most prolific foreign marksman with 177 goals.

The Times, Independent and Guardian also lead with the story, as does Metro, which descibes Aguero as a “legend”.

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Eriksen to Inter

Nearly a fortnight into the January transfer window and the lack of deals has been striking, but The Times says that a big move could be in the pipeline.

According to the paper, Tottenham midfielder Christian Eriksen is “a step closer” to leaving north London after thrashing out terms with Inter Milan.

The deal will net the Dane “about £100,000 a week after tax”, in what will be a four-year deal with the Serie A club.

Eriksen has long been linked with a move away from Spurs, and The Times says that the club are now ready to sell him so that he doesn’t leave as a free agent in the summer. There is also a feeling within Tottenham that the 27-year-old Eriksen is guilty of “a perceived lack of effort on the pitch”, and Jose Mourinho wants his out of the dressing room.

Tottenham will hope to sell Eriksen this week for £20m, a tidy profit for a player they bought from Ajax for £11.5 million in 2013.

Buttler apology

With the third Test between South Africa and England starting on Thursday in Port Elizabeth, Metro reports that Jos Buttler has said sorry for the swear words that were picked up by the stump mic in the previous game.

The England wicketpaper was fined last week for badmouthing Vernon Philander on the fifth day of the second Test in Cape Town.

“I’d like to apologise, that’s not the way to behave,” Buttler said. “I’ll take the slap on the wrists and I understand that as role models you can’t get away with using language like that.”

Today's newspaper back pages