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John Barnes is confident Philippe Coutinho will knuckle down and start performing for Liverpool once it has finally been confirmed he will not be leaving.

The Reds legend, who admits to knowing the Brazilian, doesn't believe he will have any other alternative as Jurgen Klopp won't allow him to "throw his toys out the pram" when he returns to first-team action.

Coutinho has been the subject of three mammoth bids from Barcelona this summer, and handed in a transfer request in a bid to push through the move.

But Liverpool were adamant the 25-year-old wouldn't be going anywhere, and have so far kept the Catalan giants at bay.

(Image: Bonus Code Bets)

Speaking to MirrorFootball about whether the situation will have an impact on the Liverpool squad, Barnes, an ambassador at Bonus Code Bets, said: "I don't think it will have a negative effect on either [the player or the team] because it has to do with the person.

"We have seen with [Diego] Costa and other players of the past, their reaction when they haven't got their own way.

"I know Philippe Coutinho a little bit and he's a decent enough character and once he's decided he's not going to go and wants to stay he will knuckle down and perform.

(Image: Getty)

"Nothing can affect the team negatively because Coutinho is not a petulant person, he's not going to throw his toys out of the pram, he won't be allowed to because the club have made a stance.

"It really depends on the personality [of a player] and he seems a fairly sensible personality whereby we can see in the past with certain characters, the destruction they have caused.

(Image: Reuters)

"He won't be allowed to have a negative effect on the team, because the person with the biggest effect on the team is Jurgen Klopp, so he has no power.

"So I think his disappointment will soon be forgotten because has to get on and play football."