With Dollar & Kabob leaving, an aging Ibra, Pioli haters, Salad at RW, Mike's injury, African Tourney in the middle of the season, etc.. there weren't a lot of people that believed Milan would be competing for the scudetto. You sound as if you think AC Milan can compete in today's market with ManCity, Liverpool, PSG, etc.. We can't financially. Not yet.
It's not a 3-4 yr plan to buy the right pieces, they needed to 1) balance the books, 2) stay in CL at all costs and 3) make Milan profitable again (similar to MAGA). Finances were also impacted by Covid, extra & frequent testing expenses and games behind closed doors.
Despite all those difficulties, Milan is still at the top fighting for the scudetto. Milan's performance this season is why the sponsorships and general finances are doing much better than previous years. In addition, 3 sales are expected at least bringing in cash that can be used to improve the squad quality.
With a return to profitability, now they can afford to pursue higher end players without resorting to panic buying). You should indeed be grateful for Elliott, Maldini, Masara, et al. working so diligently to get Milan's books back in order. I bet it was extremely difficult, and at the same time, trying to improve the squad.