Keates, who has already added Cook and Morgan Ferrier from the National League so far this season, admitted that he doesn't have the finances to go out and buy anybody he wants and is concentrating his search on players who have learned their trade in non-league football.
Along with Cook and Ferrier the club have also signed the likes of central defender Dan Scarr and striker Josh Gordon, with the duo - who arrived from Birmingham City and Leicester City respectively - earning moves to bigger clubs after shining in local non-league football.
Speaking via the Express & Star, Dean said; "We have to. We can’t go and spend fortunes and fortunes on players. We have to look and recruit right for us as a football club. It’s players that have learned their trade in non-league and done well.
"Dan used that as a platform – went to a Championship team and learned for two years at Birmingham. It’s a big step-up. But in Dan’s situation, he’s had two years at Blues. And he had 25 games at Wycombe.
"Josh had a year-and-a-half with Leicester so on the tactical side, that would have been affected and worked on."