Dutch football powerhouse Ajax is to appoint FC Utrecht coach Erik ten Hag as manager following the sacking of Marcel Keizer and football legend Dennis Bergkamp, a Dutch media report said Friday.

"The Amsterdammers will present Erik ten Hag as Keizer's successor and Alfred Schreuder as his assistant after the weekend," popular daily tabloid De Telegraaf said.

Ten Hag, 47, manager at Utrecht since May 2015, is seen as "the crown prince of the Dutch football manager fraternity...and has a limited release sum of in his contract of around 700,000 euros, an amount that's no problem for Ajax," the paper said.

Keizer, legendary striker Bergkamp -- who scored a total of 264 goals at club level -- were sacked on Thursday together with assistant coach Hennie Spijkerman.

In a short press release, Ajax general manager Edwin van der Sar said the club "has insufficient confidence" that the current side "will reach the level we expect from them" under Keizer, Spijkerman and Bergkamp.

Keizer was Ajax coach for only 174 days since his appointment in the summer, which was followed by a string of disappointing losses by the Dutch giants.

Not only did they fail to qualify from the preliminary rounds of either the Champions League or the Europa League but also crashed out of the Dutch Cup on Wednesday, losing on penalties to FC Twente following a 1-1 draw.

Ajax sit second on the Dutch first division log, five behind leaders PSV.

Ajax could not immediately be reached for comment and there were no updates on its website to announce a possible successor to Keizer and Bergkamp.

Ten Hag led Dutch club Go Ahead Eagles to promotion in 2013 and then coached Bayern Munich's second team when Pep Guardiola managed the German club's top squad.