The Laporte dilemma: France dont want him, and Spain can't have him

With every international break that comes and goes, the questions rage on about the strange lack of inclusion in international duties for Aymeric Laporte.

The centre half is arguably one of the best players in the world in his position, and is keeping out top centre halves like Vincent Kompany and Nicolas Otamendi from his club side. Yet this all seems irrelevant when it comes to international selection.

Nearing the peak of his career, and on an undisputed upward trajectory under the guidance of Pep Guardiola, Laporte is now 24 years of age and has still not made a first senior international appearance.

Laporte had been hoping that if he impressed in the Premier League, under the tough regime of one of the most demanding coaches on the planet, French coach Didier Deschamps would see him as a definite inclusion in his side.

However, this is clearly not the case, with Laporte only being called up once, and never played for France. Even the likes of Mamadou Sakho are being invited up to the national side ahead of him, which ought not to be the case at all.

Of course, Laporte would not expect to be an immediate starter, with compatriots Varane and Umtiti forming a World Cup winning partnership in Russia during the summer.

However, in light of the long term absence of Laurent Koscielny for 'Les Bleus', should surely have seen Laporte called up to be a more than able replacement.

Being a left footed defender is one aspect of Laporte's characteristics that unfavour him slightly, as Deschamps' side have an abundance of left sided defenders in their ranks.

Yet this cannot be the only reason why the Manchester City man still continues to be left out.

Perhaps Laporte's consideration of playing for Spain has irked the French boss. Although this would seem rather odd, given the fact that Lucas Hernandez did the same, and remains a key part of Deschamps' side.

Laporte only considered Spain when he thought that he may not get a shot to play for his home country. Yet he made it his mindset clear recently, by publicly pledging his allegiance to the French cause. 

Spain would love to take Laporte as their own; they have a lack of central defensive options themselves, as the retirement of Gerard Pique in the summer left them thin on the ground. 

While the Spanish Football Federation did all they could to 'sign' Laporte in the same manner they did with Brazilian born Diego Costa, passport via a residency, the French native's move to the Premier League scuppered any potential deal. 

A year prior, FC Barcelona were interested in Laporte, but instead opted for Umtiti his compatriot, who came at a much cheaper price. Now, Umtiti is a World Cup winner, while Laporte is in limbo. 

Had he signed for Barcelona, Laporte would have been able to have the stage and options behind him, to either break into the France side, or declare allegiance with Spain.

He now has neither, as a regular first team berth with the record breaking Premier League champions, is somehow deemed insufficient to earn him a cap.

Had Laporte begun the process when he signed for Athletic Bilbao, or even just two years ago, he would currently be a key figure in Spain's team. 

A source close to the player confirmed that the player's eligibility is now only open to France, stating to 'Sportsmail: "He can only play with France; he can't play with Spain'.

Overall, the clamour to give Laporte a chance on the international stage has only seemed to further push Didier Deschamps into refusing to give the player a chance. 

It seems as though, until France decide to go in another coaching direction, Laporte will have to sit out of international duty. 

For Manchester City, one of their most important players is getting regular rest every break. But even Pep Guardiola feels for a player who, is good enough for France and Spian, but as of yet, has not represented either.