Can a football club force a player to sign contract by threatening no play time?

Quote: "... his situation after failing to transfer to Real Madrid was: if he doesn't sign a new contract with Manutd, he will not get any play time, ..." ;

..... that is NOT true.

He had refused to sign the new contract, that had been offered, for a long time prior to the most recent transfer window, even though he had made it clear that it was his intention to continue his career at Real Madrid at the earliest opportunity, but he continued to play regularly for MUFC as first choice keeper.

My recollection is that the "back-up" - Victor Valdez - played only twice last season, in first team games, once when he came on as substitute for the injured de Gea, and once in the last game of the season, when de Gea was still unfit after that injury.

De Gea returned during the pre-season tour in America and played but was dropped after he had an uncharacteristically poor performance in an ICC game and let in two relatively easy goals.

Louis van Gaal made it clear that he believed DdG was not properly "focused" on his game, as a result of uncertainty regarding his possible transfer to Real Rancid or whatever they call themselves:

..... and therefore he would not play another competitive game for the Club until his future had clarified after the close of the transfer window.

Nevertheless, he had been told that he WOULD be considered for future competitive games after the window closed, based on performances in training, whether he signed a new contract or not.

Furthermore United had made it clear that they would do virtually everything in their power to retain his services until his existing contract expired and he left on a free transfer.

But if he WAS to be allowed to move to Los Wänkers before his contract expired, it would only be for a world record fee for a goalkeeper, that would include one of their Böllöcticos coming in the opposite direction.

It would appear that the incompetent Dagö buffoons fouled up their final day attempt to tie up a more favourable deal from their own point of view, believing that they had all the winning cards and could finalize the transfer on their own deluded and derisory terms.

Their patently obvious incompetence did not escape the notice of the astute David de Gea, nor his "super-agent" Jorge Mendes, and de Gea has now agreed a new four year contract on a substantial pay increase, with a clear intention of intensifying the humiliation of Florentino Pérez.

There was never any doubt that David de Gea would continue to be first choice keeper at Manchester United if his proposed transfer "fell-through".

His first team competitive services, even for just one remaining season (on his existing wages), would have been far more valuable to the Club than the paltry fee that Morontino Pérez seemed to think de Gea was worth in his last minute offer.