| 1 |  Thiago Maia | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Brazil | Sport Club Internacional | 1997 | €4.0m |
| 2 |  Andrés Cubas | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Paraguay Argentina | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 1996 | €4.0m |
| 3 |  Dejan Ljubicic | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Austria | GNK Dinamo Zagreb | 1997 | €4.0m |
| 4 |  Marko Grujić | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Serbia | AEK Athens | 1996 | €4.0m |
| 5 |  Salih Özcan | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Türkiye Germany | Borussia Dortmund | 1998 | €4.0m |
| 6 |  Kevin Gutiérrez | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Argentina | Defensa y Justicia | 1997 | €3.5m |
| 7 |  Niklas Dorsch | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Germany | 1.FC Heidenheim 1846 | 1998 | €3.5m |
| 8 |  Hamza Choudhury | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Bangladesh England | Leicester City | 1997 | €4.5m |
| 9 |  Amir Hadziahmetovic | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Bosnia-Herzegovina Denmark | Hull City | 1997 | €4.5m |
| 10 |  Lewis Travis | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | England | Derby County | 1997 | €3.5m |
| 11 |  Erick | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Brazil | Esporte Clube Bahia | 1997 | €4.5m |
| 12 |  Keaton Parks | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | United States | New York City FC | 1997 | €3.5m |
| 13 |  Raniele | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Brazil | Sport Club Corinthians Paulista | 1996 | €3.5m |
| 14 |  Alan Cervantes | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Mexico | CF América | 1998 | €4.5m |
| 15 |  Edimilson Fernandes | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Switzerland | BSC Young Boys | 1996 | €3.0m |
| 16 |  Obinna Nwobodo | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Nigeria | FC Cincinnati | 1996 | €3.0m |
| 17 |  Kevin Lenini | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Cape Verde Portugal | FC Krasnodar | 1997 | €5.0m |
| 18 |  Yvan Neyou | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Cameroon France | Getafe CF | 1997 | €3.0m |
| 19 |  Santiago Colombatto | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Argentina Italy | Real Oviedo | 1997 | €3.0m |
| 20 |  Ryan Wintle | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | England | Cardiff City | 1997 | €3.0m |
| 21 |  Artur | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Brazil United States | Houston Dynamo FC | 1996 | €3.0m |
| 22 |  Carlos Rodríguez | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Mexico | CD Cruz Azul | 1997 | €5.0m |
| 23 |  Gustav Berggren | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Sweden | New York Red Bulls | 1997 | €3.0m |
| 24 |  Elisha Owusu | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Ghana France | AJ Auxerre | 1997 | €3.0m |
| 25 |  Pedro Chirivella | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Spain | Panathinaikos FC | 1997 | €5.0m |
| 26 |  Arthur Melo | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Brazil | Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense | 1996 | €5.0m |
| 27 |  Casper De Norre | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Belgium | Millwall FC | 1997 | €2.5m |
| 28 |  Mathias Normann | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Norway | Al-Sailiya SC | 1996 | €2.5m |
| 29 |  Vladyslav Kochergin | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Ukraine | Raków Częstochowa | 1996 | €2.5m |
| 30 |  Charles Pickel | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | DR Congo Switzerland | RCD Espanyol Barcelona | 1997 | €2.4m |