If we are talking Spurs then sure but around the PL not sure of that's really accurate. Ginola, Henry, Pires, Lacazette, Aubameyang (is French and started his career there), Anelka, Malbranque, Cantona, Hazard and Drogba just off the top of my head spring to mind.
Anelka came here as a 16 year old with no fee so IMO isn’t relevant
but of the rest
Ginola, yes an experienced proven player both there and here
Henry, failed in italy before coming to England and changing positions
Pires yep class after a season
Lacazette... not sure if he has been a success or not p. They want rid which I find odd myself
Aubameyang came via Germany so already had gone through the change of clubs
Malbranque was solid but never that great
Cantona same as Ginola
Drogba came from France via growing up sometime in Ivory Coast.
hazard was proven too and showed that class here apart from the season he took off
from that I’d say you get two extremes, record buys that seem to work and bargain buys that are low risk
Pepe is a record buy now and he looks like a flop after a season but he could easily turn into a Pires
I think it’s a weak league out there and the players that succeed when moving either need to be insanely talented or have a hell of a belief in themselves and there not common characteristics in that league from what I’ve seen. Look at Martial for example, he can be brilliant or non existent with very little in between.