| 1 |  Pierre Ekwah | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | France Ghana | AS Saint-Étienne | 2002 | €7.0m |
| 2 |  Ibrahim Sulemana | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Ghana | Bologna FC 1909 | 2003 | €7.0m |
| 3 |  Lucien Agoumé | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | France Cameroon | Sevilla FC | 2002 | €8.0m |
| 4 |  Junior Mwanga | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | France DR Congo | FC Nantes | 2003 | €6.0m |
| 5 |  Dion Lopy | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Senegal | UD Almería | 2002 | €6.0m |
| 6 |  Eric Martel | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Germany | 1.FC Köln | 2002 | €6.0m |
| 7 |  Johann Lepenant | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | France | FC Nantes | 2002 | €6.0m |
| 8 |  Pablo Maia | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Brazil | São Paulo Futebol Clube | 2002 | €8.0m |
| 9 |  Lucas Gourna-Douath | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | France Central African Republic | Red Bull Salzburg | 2003 | €8.0m |
| 10 |  Artem Karpukas | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Russia | Lokomotiv Moscow | 2002 | €5.0m |
| 11 |  Fidel Ambríz | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Mexico | CF Monterrey | 2003 | €5.0m |
| 12 |  José Caicedo | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Colombia | UNAM Pumas | 2002 | €5.0m |
| 13 |  Fabinho | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Brazil | Red Bull Bragantino | 2002 | €5.0m |
| 14 |  Evertton Araújo | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Brazil | CR Flamengo | 2003 | €5.0m |
| 15 |  Alexsander | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Brazil | Clube Atlético Mineiro | 2003 | €5.0m |
| 16 |  Facundo Bernal | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Uruguay Italy | Fluminense Football Club | 2003 | €5.0m |
| 17 |  Matías Galarza | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Argentina | CA Talleres | 2002 | €4.7m |
| 18 |  Ugo Raghouber | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | France | LOSC Lille | 2003 | €4.0m |
| 19 |  David Ayala | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Argentina | Portland Timbers | 2002 | €4.0m |
| 20 |  Oussama Targhalline | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Morocco | Feyenoord Rotterdam | 2002 | €4.0m |
| 21 |  Stije Resink | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Netherlands | FC Groningen | 2003 | €4.0m |
| 22 |  Niko Sigur | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Canada Croatia | HNK Hajduk Split | 2003 | €4.0m |
| 23 |  Sivert Mannsverk | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Norway | AC Sparta Prague | 2002 | €4.0m |
| 24 |  Jakub Kaluzinski | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Poland | Antalyaspor | 2002 | €3.5m |
| 25 |  Igor Jesus | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Brazil | Los Angeles FC | 2003 | €3.5m |
| 26 |  Damián Rodríguez | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Spain | Celta de Vigo | 2003 | €3.0m |
| 27 |  Mamady Diambou | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Mali | Red Bull Salzburg | 2002 | €3.0m |
| 28 |  Dirk Proper | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Netherlands | NEC Nijmegen | 2002 | €3.0m |
| 29 |  Veldin Hodza | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Kosovo Croatia | Rubin Kazan | 2002 | €3.0m |
| 30 |  Jon Gorrotxategi | Midfield - Defensive Midfield | Spain | Real Sociedad | 2002 | €3.0m |