| 1 |  Tanner Tessmann | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | United States | Olympique Lyon | 2001 | €6.0m |
| 2 |  Joris Chotard | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | France | Stade Brestois 29 | 2001 | €6.0m |
| 3 |  Dion Lopy | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Senegal | UD Almería | 2002 | €6.0m |
| 4 |  Johann Lepenant | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | France | FC Nantes | 2002 | €6.0m |
| 5 |  Pierre Ekwah | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | France Ghana | AS Saint-Étienne | 2002 | €7.0m |
| 6 |  Artem Karpukas | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Russia | Lokomotiv Moscow | 2002 | €5.0m |
| 7 |  José Caicedo | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Colombia | UNAM Pumas | 2002 | €5.0m |
| 8 |  Boubacar Traoré | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Mali | FC Metz | 2001 | €5.0m |
| 9 |  Fabinho | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Brazil | Red Bull Bragantino | 2002 | €5.0m |
| 10 |  Fidel Ambríz | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Mexico | CF Monterrey | 2003 | €5.0m |
| 11 |  Tyler Morton | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | England | Olympique Lyon | 2002 | €7.0m |
| 12 |  Evertton Araújo | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Brazil | CR Flamengo | 2003 | €5.0m |
| 13 |  Matías Galarza | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Argentina | CA Talleres | 2002 | €4.7m |
| 14 |  Lucien Agoumé | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | France Cameroon | Sevilla FC | 2002 | €8.0m |
| 15 |  Sivert Mannsverk | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Norway | AC Sparta Prague | 2002 | €4.0m |
| 16 |  Oussama Targhalline | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Morocco | Feyenoord Rotterdam | 2002 | €4.0m |
| 17 |  David Ayala | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Argentina | Portland Timbers | 2002 | €4.0m |
| 18 |  Pablo Maia | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Brazil | São Paulo Futebol Clube | 2002 | €8.0m |
| 19 |  Jadsom | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Brazil | Al-Wahda FC | 2001 | €3.5m |
| 20 |  Igor Jesus | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Brazil | Los Angeles FC | 2003 | €3.5m |
| 21 |  Jakub Kaluzinski | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Poland | Antalyaspor | 2002 | €3.5m |
| 22 |  Jon Gorrotxategi | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Spain | Real Sociedad | 2002 | €3.0m |
| 23 |  Iker Muñoz | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Spain | CA Osasuna | 2002 | €3.0m |
| 24 |  Veldin Hodza | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Kosovo Croatia | Rubin Kazan | 2002 | €3.0m |
| 25 |  Mamady Diambou | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Mali | Red Bull Salzburg | 2002 | €3.0m |
| 26 |  Damián Rodríguez | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Spain | Celta de Vigo | 2003 | €3.0m |
| 27 |  Dirk Proper | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Netherlands | NEC Nijmegen | 2002 | €3.0m |
| 28 |  Marco Angulo | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Ecuador | --- | 2002 | €2.8m |
| 29 |  Alonzo Engwanda | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Belgium DR Congo | FC Utrecht | 2003 | €2.5m |
| 30 |  Connor Barron | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Scotland | Rangers FC | 2002 | €2.5m |