| 1 |  Jordan Holsgrove | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Scotland England | GD Estoril Praia | 1999 | €3.5m |
| 2 |  Edwin Cerrillo | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | United States Mexico | Los Angeles Galaxy | 2000 | €3.5m |
| 3 |  Nail Umyarov | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Russia | Spartak Moscow | 2000 | €4.0m |
| 4 |  James Sands | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | United States | FC St. Pauli | 2000 | €3.0m |
| 5 |  Patrick de Paula | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Brazil | GD Estoril Praia | 1999 | €4.0m |
| 6 |  Rodrigo Villagra | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Argentina | CSKA Moscow | 2001 | €4.0m |
| 7 |  Bartosz Slisz | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Poland | Atlanta United FC | 1999 | €4.0m |
| 8 |  Nicolás Acevedo | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Uruguay | Esporte Clube Bahia | 1999 | €4.0m |
| 9 |  Ibrahima Diallo | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | France Senegal | Al-Ahli SC | 1999 | €4.0m |
| 10 |  Mory Gbane | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Cote d'Ivoire | Stade Reims | 2000 | €4.0m |
| 11 |  Rômulo | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Brazil | Tigres UANL | 2000 | €4.0m |
| 12 |  Mohamed Belhadj Mahmoud | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Tunisia | FC Lugano | 2000 | €4.0m |
| 13 |  Claudio Gomes | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | France Guinea-Bissau | Palermo FC | 2000 | €2.8m |
| 14 |  Kartal Yılmaz | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Türkiye | Besiktas JK | 2000 | €2.6m |
| 15 |  Dani Silva | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Portugal | FC Midtjylland | 2000 | €2.5m |
| 16 |  Hugo Guillamón | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Spain | HNK Hajduk Split | 2000 | €2.5m |
| 17 |  Cheikh Niasse | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Senegal France | Hellas Verona | 2000 | €2.5m |
| 18 |  Markus Solbakken | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Norway | Aarhus GF | 2000 | €2.5m |
| 19 |  Emil Kornvig | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Denmark | SK Brann | 2000 | €2.5m |
| 20 |  Adriano Firmino | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Brazil | CD Santa Clara | 1999 | €2.5m |
| 21 |  Zanocelo | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Brazil | Ceará Sporting Club | 2001 | €2.5m |
| 22 |  Njegos Petrovic | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Serbia | FK Vojvodina Novi Sad | 1999 | €2.5m |
| 23 |  Federico Navarro | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Argentina | CA Rosario Central | 2000 | €2.3m |
| 24 |  Adam Randell | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | England | Bristol City | 2000 | €2.2m |
| 25 |  Joe Bell | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | New Zealand England | Viking FK | 1999 | €2.0m |
| 26 |  Rodrigo Herrera | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Argentina | Club Atlético Platense | 2000 | €2.0m |
| 27 |  Roberto Meraz | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Mexico | Mazatlán FC | 1999 | €2.0m |
| 28 |  Andrés Perea | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | United States Colombia | New York City FC | 2000 | €2.0m |
| 29 |  Juergen Elitim | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Colombia Spain | Legia Warszawa | 1999 | €2.0m |
| 30 |  Danley Jean Jacques | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Haiti | Philadelphia Union | 2000 | €2.0m |