| 1 |  Pablo Maia | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Brazil | São Paulo Futebol Clube | 2002 | €8.0m |
| 2 |  Pierre Ekwah | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | France Ghana | AS Saint-Étienne | 2002 | €7.0m |
| 3 |  Tyler Morton | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | England | Olympique Lyon | 2002 | €7.0m |
| 4 |  Tanner Tessmann | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | United States | Olympique Lyon | 2001 | €6.0m |
| 5 |  Johann Lepenant | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | France | FC Nantes | 2002 | €6.0m |
| 6 |  Manu Silva | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Portugal | SL Benfica | 2001 | €10.0m |
| 7 |  Eric Martel | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Germany | 1.FC Köln | 2002 | €6.0m |
| 8 |  Joris Chotard | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | France | Stade Brestois 29 | 2001 | €6.0m |
| 9 |  Enzo Barrenechea | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Argentina | SL Benfica | 2001 | €10.0m |
| 10 |  Dion Lopy | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Senegal | UD Almería | 2002 | €6.0m |
| 11 |  Urko González de Zárate | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Spain | RCD Espanyol Barcelona | 2001 | €5.0m |
| 12 |  Fabinho | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Brazil | Red Bull Bragantino | 2002 | €5.0m |
| 13 |  Boubacar Traoré | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Mali | FC Metz | 2001 | €5.0m |
| 14 |  Artem Karpukas | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Russia | Lokomotiv Moscow | 2002 | €5.0m |
| 15 |  José Caicedo | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Colombia | UNAM Pumas | 2002 | €5.0m |
| 16 |  Matías Galarza | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Argentina | CA Talleres | 2002 | €4.7m |
| 17 |  Wouter Burger | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Netherlands | TSG 1899 Hoffenheim | 2001 | €4.5m |
| 18 |  Jamie Roche | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Sweden | FC Lausanne-Sport | 2001 | €4.5m |
| 19 |  Oussama Targhalline | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Morocco | Feyenoord Rotterdam | 2002 | €4.0m |
| 20 |  Rodrigo Villagra | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Argentina | CSKA Moscow | 2001 | €4.0m |
| 21 |  Santiago Hezze | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Argentina Poland | Olympiacos Piraeus | 2001 | €12.0m |
| 22 |  David Ayala | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Argentina | Portland Timbers | 2002 | €4.0m |
| 23 |  Sivert Mannsverk | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Norway | AC Sparta Prague | 2002 | €4.0m |
| 24 |  Equi Fernández | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Argentina Paraguay | Bayer 04 Leverkusen | 2002 | €12.0m |
| 25 |  Volodymyr Brazhko | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Ukraine | Dynamo Kyiv | 2002 | €12.0m |
| 26 |  Enric Llansana | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Netherlands Spain | RSC Anderlecht | 2001 | €4.0m |
| 27 |  Máximo Perrone | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Argentina Spain | Como 1907 | 2003 | €12.0m |
| 28 |  Mandela Keita | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Belgium Guinea | Parma Calcio 1913 | 2002 | €12.0m |
| 29 |  Franco Ibarra | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Argentina | CA Rosario Central | 2001 | €3.5m |
| 30 |  Jakub Kaluzinski | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Poland | Antalyaspor | 2002 | €3.5m |