[4] On 23 February 2019, Pavlović made his competitive senior debut for the club in a 3–0 home league win over Proleter Novi Sad, playing the full 90 minutes and receiving a yellow card in the process.

He quickly established himself in the team's starting lineup, collecting 15 official appearances and helping Partizan win the 2018–19 Serbian Cup.

[6] At the beginning of the 2019–20 season, Pavlović confirmed himself as a first-team regular, forming a central defensive partnership with the experienced Bojan Ostojić.

[13] On 21 January 2021, he joined Cercle Brugge on loan until the end of the season, having seen limited game time at Monaco due to being the fifth-choice centre-back in Niko Kovač's team.

[18] On 31 July 2024, Pavlović joined Serie A club AC Milan for an estimated €18 million fee, on a contract until 30 June 2028.

[19][20] He chose 31 as his jersey number, which had once belonged to former Milan defender Jaap Stam, to whom he immediately drew comparisons due to similarities in physique and appearance.

He made his national under-21 team debut on 6 September 2019, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 away loss against Russia in their 2021 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifier.