Tottenham Hotspur were initially interested in Brentford goalkeeper David Raya, before turning their attentions to new signing Pierluigi Gollini, according to The Athletic.

The Lowdown: Tottenham Hotspur complete Gollini deal

Of course, Spurs have finally initiated their first signing of the summer in the form of Pierluigi Gollini on a loan deal with an option to buy from Serie A outfit Atalanta [BBC].

Despite this, new details have emerged suggesting he may have not been the first choice to inherit the gloves at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Latest: Spurs initially in for Raya; Paratici called deal off due to expense

Initially, the Londoners were keen on a move for 6ft ace Raya to bolster their goalkeeping ranks.

Enquiring to the Bees about a potential swoop, it is said that Tottenham director of football Fabio Paratici called off any notion of a deal due to its prospective expense [Athletic].

Incorporated into the Gollini deal, Espirito Santo’s men are said to have agreed to pay a fee of £12.9 million to keep the goalkeeper if he makes 20 appearances whilst on loan.

The Verdict: Gollini deal is more flexible that Raya swoop

All things considered, the decision to acquire Gollini instead of stumping up the funds for Raya may prove to be an intelligent one by the Spurs' hierarchy.

Being able to essentially 'try before you buy' with the Italian loanee, the Lilywhites can take their time to gauge whether Gollini will be a good fit at the club in the long-term. If he is, then Spurs don't have to worry about another club swooping in too.

However, Raya’s qualities shouldn’t be underestimated in the midst of these developments. In 2020/21, the Spaniard was in sparkling form for his newly promoted employers, keeping 18 clean sheets in 48 appearances [Transfermarkt].

Managing to keep a save percentage rate of 74.2% across, the Barcelona-born keeper most certainly has shown the metal to perform at the highest level consistently [FBRef].

Only time will tell in regards to whether Spurs have made the right choice in choosing not to persue a deal for Raya, a man once labelled as ‘stand-out’ by manager Thomas Frank [West London Sport].

In other news, Tottenham Hotspur are interested in a Serie A ace.