The sdei chemed literally says there is someone amongst the living to be moshiach if they dont merit he dies and if they do then he becomes moshiach. “but there is a further way” which happens with big merit and this is the way sanhedrin says if he is from the dead its daniel. Meaning he is not one of the ones of the generation but someone from the dead. If the entire thing was a mashul why is he mentioning living people who can be moshiach at all??? That whole pshat makes no sense and its just not what it says.
